Motorists have been warned to exercise caution in South Africa this weekend due to severe weather in parts of the country.
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has escalated its forecast to an Orange Level 5 severe weather warning, with heavy rainfall, flooding, and strong winds expected in several provinces starting on Friday, 4 September 2026.
The worst-affected province is the Northern Cape, where the east-central area has been flagged with an Orange Level 5 warning for intense thunderstorms.
These storms are likely to cause flooding across roads and bridges. Strong winds, falling trees, and hail may also lead to property damage such as smashed windshields.
A larger Yellow Level 4 warning for severe thunderstorms has also been issued for parts of central and eastern Northern Cape, western Free State, southern KwaZulu-Natal, and North West.
Motorists in these areas are advised to be cautious of localised flooding, damaging winds, hail, falling trees, and lightning.
The probability of rainfall is sitting between 60% and 80% in the worst-affected areas. BusinessTech reported that the highest chance of rain is expected over the central interior.
The weather service has also issued Yellow Level 4 warnings for damaging winds in parts of the western Northern Cape, northeastern Western Cape, and KZN.
These winds are strong enough to cause structural damage and flying debris. Large vehicles with a flat side-body, such as vans and trucks, can potentially be knocked over by crosswinds.
A separate Yellow 4 warning has been issued for dangerous waves along the KZN coastline. Motorists are advised to avoid coastal roads.
A Yellow Level 2 warning for damaging winds has also been issued for the southern and western parts of the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, and central Mpumalanga.
Thunderstorm warnings have been posted for the Eastern Free State, central and eastern North West, southern Gauteng, southwestern Mpumalanga, and the Eastern Cape.
Driving in dangerous weather
MasterDrive noted that motorists should adjust their driving style when travelling in dangerous weather conditions such as heavy rain, as the slippery conditions can affect steering and braking.
Eugene Herbert, CEO of MasterDrive, recommended that drivers take the following precautions:
- Reduce speed
- Practise defensive driving
- Avoid cruise control and sport mode
- Gently test your brakes to judge how slippery the road is
- Accelerate and decelerate slowly to maintain traction and avoid skidding
- Switch your headlights to dim; avoid fog lights to avoid blinding other drivers
- Increase your normal following distance to account for the longer braking times
- Check that your tyres are properly inflated; underinflated tyres reduce traction further
If your wheels start to spin because of low traction in slippery conditions, ease off the accelerator and avoid hard braking. Steer in the direction of the spin until you regain control and then gently correct course.
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