Cape town: The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued a Yellow level 2 warning for strong, damaging winds in parts of the Western Cape and the south-central parts of the Northern Cape. The weather service highlighted potential damage to infrastructure, settlements, and challenges for high-sided vehicles and travel services.

According to South African Government News Agency, a Yellow level 1 warning has also been issued for severe thunderstorms with strong, damaging winds and heavy downpours. These conditions are expected to lead to localized flooding and damage to susceptible formal and informal settlements and infrastructure over the central and south-eastern parts of the Northern Cape.

Furthermore, the SAWS has cautioned about extreme high fire danger conditions anticipated over the Central Karoo of the Western Cape, and in areas including Dr Beyers Naude, Blue Crane, Inxuba Yethemba, and Enoch Mgijima municipalities in the Eastern Cape, as well as the southern parts of the Northern Cape.

Meanwhile, cold to very cold, wet, and windy conditions are forecasted for the southern parts of the Namakwa region of the Northern Cape, Central Karoo, Cape Winelands, the western parts of the Overberg, and the City of Cape Town districts of the Western Cape into Monday.

As the nation prepares to commemorate Freedom Day on Monday, the weather service has also issued a Yellow Level 2 warning for strong winds in the Eastern Cape on that day. SAWS reported that a strong pressure gradient from a ridging high and a passing front is expected to cause strong south-westerly winds along the coast between Tsitsikama and Port Edward offshore. These winds are predicted to impact coastal areas in Kouga Local Municipality and Nelson Mandela Bay, potentially causing damage to settlements and temporary structures, disruption to power and communications, localized disruptions to harbors and ports, and difficulties in navigation at sea, with vessels at risk of taking on water and capsizing within a locality.