Residents in Gauteng and surrounding provinces have been cautioned by the South African Weather Service to take shelter as severe thunderstorms are expected on Friday.

Severe thunderstorms are expected over Gauteng, the northern half of KwaZulu-Natal, western and southern parts of Limpopo, eastern and central parts of the North West, Free State and Mpumalanga.

The weather agency urged people to take precautions and remain indoors, avoid metal objects, disconnect electrical appliances and avoid playing sports when the thunder roars.

Temperatures in the order of a low of 13 to 31C are expected in the Free State. North West will start at 12C and warm up to a high of 33C. In Mpumalanga, temperatures will average from 12C to 25C. A low of 17C and a high of 32C will be felt in Limpopo. Gauteng will experience an average low of 15 to 30C.

Last week, South Africans experienced a cold snap, which affected most parts of the country from the middle of this week onwards. The cold weather, which invaded the Western Cape and spread to other parts of the country, resulted in some snowfall on some southern mountains. Small stock farmers had to take precaution to protect their livestock from the unseasonal cold snap.

Residents in the affected areas have been advised to listen to the radio, social media and television warnings and obey the instructions from disaster management officers in case of an emergency.

Source: South African Government News Agency