The drought-stricken Eastern Cape has been gifted with heavy rains since Thursday and can expect colder than usual temperatures until Sunday.
On Thursday and through to Friday 30mm of rain fell on East London alone according to the SA Weather Services. Bhisho, Fort Beaufort and Tsitsikamma received the most rainfall in the same time period of 40mm, 37mm and 34mm respectively.
A seven-day forecast issued by the weather services showed that the Buffalo City region could still expect a cold albeit relatively less wet weekend. The max temperature is only expected to break 20°C on Monday. An additional 10mm of rain is expected next Saturday with at least another 3mm on Sunday.
Garth Sampson, spokesperson for the Port Elizabeth weather office, said the rain was good news for the Nelson Mandela Bay catchment.
According to the latest official dam levels, dams in the Nelson Mandela Bay catchment areas had dropped to 18%.
The front is expected to bring some relief.
On Wednesday SAWS issued an alert to residents of the Eastern and Western Cape provinces which stated:
“This extreme, wintry weather is likely to include snowfalls, accompanied by widespread, bitterly cold conditions over many parts of South Africa, with coldness persisting for a four- to five-day period in some places,” read the statement.
SAWS said that the cold front should be making its exit from the country on Sunday.
Tiffindell Ski Resort, in the north of the province, had experienced some snow by Friday morning, and on Facebook invited families to go and “experience the beauty of snow, build a snowman or try some bum boarding”.
Dave Walker of Walkerbouts Inn at Rhodes Village said on Friday that there were clear and sunny skies at the inn, with the only snow up in Tiffindell.
Sampson said that snow had fallen in Migsund, Krakeel, Louterwater and the Patensie and Cockscomb mountains...