The South African Weather Service (Saws) has predicted wet conditions in most parts of the country on Christmas Day.
Rainfall is expected to make landfall in six provinces.
The provinces expected to experience heavy rainfall include Limpopo, the Free State, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, and the North West.
On Monday, the weather service said isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers are expected over the central and eastern areas of the country as well as along the south coast, but widespread over KwaZulu-Natal and along the coast of the Eastern Cape.
"This substantial rainfall increase is likely to elevate the risk of flooding. As a result, the public is strongly urged to stay informed by following short-term weather forecasts and any warnings issued by the Saws," the weather service said.
Saws said with the forecasted rainfall and accompanying cloud cover, temperatures in the eastern parts of the country are expected to cool down, providing some relief from the extreme heat and uncomfortable conditions experienced in recent weeks.
"Large parts of South Africa’s interior have experienced heat waves in recent months, with a particularly intense and prolonged heat wave lasting for two weeks during the first half of December 2024. This heat wave resulted in several new temperature records, both maximum and minimum, across various provinces," the weather service said.
Last week, the weather service released a Yellow Level 4 and Yellow Level 2 warnings for disruptive rain, Yellow Level 2 for severe thunderstorms, and Yellow Level 1 warnings for damaging winds in most parts of the country.
Saws said it will continue to monitor any further developments relating to the weather systems and will issue subsequent updates as required.
robin.francke@iol.co.za
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