Overview
- Heavy snowfall and freezing conditions have closed multiple Eastern Cape mountain passes and disrupted major routes in KwaZulu-Natal, Free State and Mpumalanga, with emergency teams deployed to rescue stranded motorists and clear roads.
- The South African Weather Service has issued an Orange Level 6 warning for disruptive snow in parts of the Eastern Cape, and additional yellow warnings cover sections of the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal because the cut-off low is amplifying the surface cold front.
- National road agencies and traffic authorities have warned motorists to avoid non-essential travel on dangerous corridors such as the N3, N6, N9 and R617 and are using graders and brine spraying to prevent black ice and reopen cleared sections.
- Eskom and local officials say snowfall and poor access are delaying repairs to electricity networks in affected Eastern Cape districts, and public officials have urged communities to prepare for isolated outages and to check on vulnerable people.
- Gauteng is entering a sharp cold snap with single-digit daytime highs and possible light snow in southern and eastern areas while heavy downpours and localized flood risk are expected in Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga before conditions gradually ease midweek.