Weather
Parts of South Africa, Namibia, and Lesotho have seen serious snowfall as sweeping cold swept across the area. The cold front brought rare snowfall to parts of South Africa on Monday, coating rooftops, clogging roads, and prompting emergency responses across several provinces unaccustomed to such wintry conditions. It has been called the largest snow event in Lesotho’s recent history by the Lesotho Tribune.
The ski resort Afriski Mountain Resort in Lesotho advised visitors to delay travel until conditions improve. Emergency crews at the resort had to rescue 10 people bogged in snow at Mahlasela, in Butha-Buthe where it was snowing heavily. Truck drivers as well as 4WD vehicles without snow chains had gotten stuck on the snow covered roads.
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) issued a series of warnings as temperatures plunged overnight, leading to snowfall in Gauteng, the Eastern Cape, and elevated areas of KwaZulu-Natal—regions where snow is either infrequent or typically limited to light flurries.
Videos and images quickly spread across social media showing children building snowmen in suburban neighborhoods, cars inching across icy roads, and normally sun-drenched landscapes turned white. While the scenes brought excitement to many, they also created dangerous conditions on the ground. Several highways and mountain passes were temporarily closed due to ice and reduced visibility. Authorities urged motorists to avoid unnecessary travel, citing a growing number of minor collisions and weather-related incidents.
Emergency services were dispatched throughout the day to respond to hypothermia cases among the homeless and to assist stranded drivers. In many areas, schools and businesses either closed early or remained shut as a precaution. Municipalities mobilized disaster management teams to distribute blankets, warm clothing, and food to vulnerable communities.
“This is an unusual event for much of the country,” said a spokesperson for SAWS. “The system bringing this cold is more intense than typical winter patterns and is expected to persist through the next 24 to 48 hours.”
While South Africa experiences cold snaps during its southern hemisphere winter, snowfall remains an anomaly in densely populated areas like Johannesburg or the lower elevations of the Eastern Cape. The current weather system is being closely monitored as officials brace for further disruptions.
Meteorologists expect conditions to gradually improve later in the week, but until then, the country continues to navigate the surprise arrival of a snow-covered winter.
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