Eastern Cape heatwave now runs to Sunday. Friday's weather warnings
SAWS has widened its Eastern Cape heatwave advisory to parts of the Chris Hani and Alfred Nzo districts until Sunday, 1 November, and warns of extremely high veld fire danger over most of the Northern Cape on Friday.
The heatwave in the Eastern Cape now covers a bigger area and will last a day longer. The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has a heatwave advisory for persistently high temperatures in places over the Chris Hani and Alfred Nzo district municipalities until Sunday, 1 November (SAWS forecast via AfriWX).
On Thursday the advisory only covered the Inxuba Yethemba municipality around Cradock and Middelburg, and was set to end on Saturday (The Citizen, Thursday's forecast). SAWS has also warned of extremely high veld fire conditions over most parts of the Northern Cape on Friday. There are no impact-based warnings for storms, rain or wind (The Citizen).
Which Eastern Cape towns are in the heatwave area?
Chris Hani is a landlocked district in the centre of the province, with its seat in Queenstown. Its local municipalities include Inxuba Yethemba, Enoch Mgijima, Intsika Yethu, Emalahleni, Dr AB Xuma and Sakhisizwe (Wikipedia).
Alfred Nzo lies in the north-east of the province, with its seat in Mount Ayliff. It is made up of the Matatiele, Umzimvubu, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Ntabankulu municipalities (Wikipedia).
The advisory says "in places", so not every town in these districts will be equally hot.
Where is the veld fire danger extremely high?
SAWS expects extremely high veld fire conditions over most of the Northern Cape on Friday. The province is forecast to be hot to very hot inland, with moderate southerly winds along the coast becoming fresh at times in the afternoon (SAWS forecast via AfriWX).
What is the weather in my province on Friday?
| Province | Friday, 30 October | UV index |
|---|---|---|
| Gauteng | Fine and warm to hot, partly cloudy in the afternoon | High |
| Mpumalanga | Morning fog, afternoon showers and thundershowers along the escarpment and eastern Highveld, otherwise fine and cool to warm | Not given |
| Limpopo | Fine and warm to hot, partly cloudy over the central parts in the afternoon | Not given |
| North West | Fine and hot, partly cloudy in the afternoon | Not given |
| Free State | Fine and hot, isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers in the east | Not given |
| Northern Cape | Cloudy and misty in the west, otherwise fine and hot to very hot | Not given |
| Western Cape | Partly cloudy and hot in the south, otherwise fine and hot, very hot over the Central Karoo | Very high |
| Eastern Cape (west) | Fog near the coast, otherwise fine to partly cloudy and warm to hot | Not given |
| Eastern Cape (east) | Fog near the coast, otherwise fine to partly cloudy and warm to hot | Not given |
| KwaZulu-Natal | Morning fog in the interior, then warm with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers in the extreme west | Very high |
Source: SAWS forecast via AfriWX, The Citizen.
With a very high UV index in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal and high in Gauteng, SAWS advises people to take precautions against long periods in the sun (The Citizen).
Where can I check for updates?
SAWS publishes its warnings daily on weathersa.co.za. Advisories can be extended, upgraded or lifted at short notice, so check again before you travel or work outside over the weekend.
FAQ
How long will the Eastern Cape heatwave last?
SAWS says the heatwave in places over the Chris Hani and Alfred Nzo district municipalities is expected to last until Sunday, 1 November 2026.
Which areas are affected by the heatwave advisory?
Places in the Chris Hani District (which includes Queenstown, Cradock and Middelburg) and the Alfred Nzo District (which includes Mount Ayliff and Matatiele) in the Eastern Cape.
Are there any storm warnings for Friday, 30 October 2026?
No. SAWS has issued no impact-based warnings for Friday. Isolated afternoon thundershowers are possible in parts of Mpumalanga, the eastern Free State and the far west of KwaZulu-Natal.
Where is the fire danger extremely high on 30 October 2026?
SAWS expects extremely high veld fire conditions over most parts of the Northern Cape.