The SA Weather Service warned of severe thunderstorms in several provinces. (rbkomar/Getty Images)
- A thunderstorm warning that could affect five provinces has been issued.
- The weather could lead to localised flooding of roads, low-lying areas and bridges, as well as localised structural damage and disruptions to services.
- Meanwhile, two other provinces have been warned of hot weather conditions.
Five provinces have been warned of severe thunderstorms on Human Rights Day.
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) issued a Level 2 warning for parts of Gauteng, the North West, the Free State, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal.
ALSO READ: ON THE ROAD | Green-fingered Upington residents are transforming their community for a better life
It said residents could expect severe thunderstorms with heavy downpours, hail, damaging winds and excessive lightning on Thursday.
The weather could lead to localised flooding of roads, low-lying areas and bridges, as well as localised structural damage and disruptions to services due to power surges.
The warning comes only days after a lightning strike at Eikenhof pump station in Johannesburg caused more water outages for the city’s residents.
Widespread water outages that lasted for two weeks were caused by three power failures at Eikenhof. The first outage was caused by a lightning strike at a City Power substation that supplies the pump station.
READ | Lightning strike trips Eikenhof pump station again
In other parts of the country, the SAWS also issued warnings for hot weather conditions.
It said a heatwave with persistently high temperatures was expected over parts of the Namakwa District in the Northern Cape on Thursday.
In addition, extremely hot and uncomfortable conditions are expected in places over the West Coast District in the Western Cape.