Cooler weather, rain and thunderstorms on the way for parts of South Africa - IOL

Prepare for cooler, rainy weather from this week.

South Africans in several parts of the country can expect a change in the weather this week, with cooler temperatures, showers and thundershowers forecast for parts of the interior and east from Monday.

Gauteng is likely to see one of the most noticeable changes, with temperatures dropping sharply on Tuesday as unsettled weather moves across the province.

According to the latest forecasts, Johannesburg could reach around 27°C on Monday, with showers and thundershowers expected. Pretoria is forecast to reach about 29°C.

The weather is expected to turn considerably cooler on Tuesday, with Johannesburg reaching only around 21°C and Pretoria about 25°C. Showers and thundershowers are again forecast across Gauteng.

The cooler conditions are expected to continue into Wednesday, when Johannesburg could see a high of around 20°C.

KwaZulu-Natal is also expected to remain unsettled, particularly along the coast.

Durban is forecast to reach about 19°C on Monday, with slight rain, while Tuesday could be even cooler at around 18°C, again with a chance of rain.

Inland areas will be warmer. Pietermaritzburg is forecast to reach about 22°C on Monday and Newcastle could reach 29°C.

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) is also monitoring weather conditions in the province, with warnings currently in place for damaging waves along parts of the KwaZulu-Natal coastline and severe thunderstorms in some areas.

The Western Cape is set for a rather different weather pattern.

Cape Town is forecast to reach about 22°C on Monday under clear skies, before temperatures rise to around 26°C on Tuesday.

The city is expected to remain dry and clear on Tuesday, meaning the cooler and wetter conditions affecting Gauteng and parts of KwaZulu-Natal will not be mirrored in the Western Cape.

Several other provinces are also expected to experience unsettled weather.

The Free State is forecast to see showers and thundershowers on both Monday and Tuesday, with Bloemfontein reaching about 25°C on Monday and 22°C on Tuesday.

Limpopo is expected to see showers and thundershowers, with Polokwane's temperature dropping from around 27°C on Monday to 22°C on Tuesday.

Mpumalanga could see rain showers on both days, while the North West is expected to experience showers and thundershowers, particularly as temperatures fall on Tuesday.

The Northern Cape should be relatively dry on Monday, although showers and thundershowers are forecast in parts of the province on Tuesday.

In the Eastern Cape, Gqeberha is forecast to remain cool, with rain showers on Monday and a high of only about 17°C. Conditions should become clearer on Tuesday.

The latest provincial forecasts show that while spring temperatures remain warm in some areas, the week will begin with a noticeable shift towards cooler and more unsettled conditions in parts of the country.