The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has warned that cold to cool weather conditions are expected to affect large parts of the country from today, with several provinces bracing for lower temperatures and unsettled weather.
According to SAWS, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, the Free State, the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal are among the provinces likely to experience the colder conditions.
The weather service has also issued a Yellow Level 1 warning for strong and potentially damaging winds over the extreme western parts of the Northern Cape. The windy conditions are expected to persist until Saturday and could make travel difficult for motorists in affected areas.
SAWS forecaster Lehlohonolo Thobela said partly cloudy skies are expected across much of the country, accompanied by cold temperatures over the central and eastern regions and cooler conditions in the north.
"Partly cloudy conditions are expected across most parts of the country, with cold temperatures over the central and eastern parts of the country. We're expecting cool conditions over the northern parts of South Africa," said Thobela.
He added that there is a 30% chance of showers and rain over the northern parts of the Northern Cape, while isolated to scattered showers are expected along the south and east coasts, extending into the interior of KwaZulu-Natal.
"There is a Yellow Level 1 warning of windy conditions expected over the extreme western part of the Northern Cape, which may result in vehicles struggling to navigate around those areas," Thobela said.
SAWS has urged motorists travelling through affected parts of the Northern Cape to exercise caution, warning that strong winds could reduce visibility and make driving conditions hazardous.
Scattered rainfall is expected to continue over parts of the central and western regions of the country into the weekend, with residents advised to keep abreast of the latest weather updates.