Weather

Heatwave grips Cradock area until Saturday. Thursday's weather warnings

SAWS has issued a heatwave advisory for the Inxuba Yethemba municipality (Cradock and Middelburg) until Saturday, 31 October, and extremely high veld fire warnings for Kamiesberg and Matzikama on Thursday.

By Reported Team

Digital thermometer showing a reading of 41.1°C during a heatwave
Photo: Couch-scratching-cats, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)

Parts of the Eastern Cape Karoo face a heatwave from Thursday, 29 October, until Saturday, 31 October. The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued an advisory for persistently high temperatures in places over the Inxuba Yethemba Local Municipality (SAWS forecast via AfriWX).

SAWS has also warned of extremely high veld fire conditions in the Kamiesberg (Northern Cape) and Matzikama (Western Cape) municipalities on Thursday. There are no impact-based warnings for storms, rain or wind anywhere in the country (The Citizen).

Which towns are in the heatwave area?

Inxuba Yethemba is the municipality that includes Cradock and Middelburg in the Eastern Cape (Wikipedia). The advisory says "in places", so not every part of the municipality will be equally hot.

The heat is expected to last at least until Saturday. The rest of the western half of the Eastern Cape will be fine and warm to hot on Thursday, but cool in places along the coast (SAWS forecast via AfriWX).

Where is the veld fire risk extremely high?

The fire danger warning covers the Kamiesberg municipality, which includes Garies and Kamieskroon (Wikipedia), and the Matzikama municipality on the West Coast, which includes Vredendal and Vanrhynsdorp (Wikipedia).

Strong southerly winds are expected along the Western Cape west coast and fresh to strong south-easterlies along the Northern Cape coast, which can help fires spread fast (SAWS forecast via AfriWX).

What is the weather in my province on Thursday?

ProvinceThursday, 29 OctoberUV index
GautengFine and warmHigh
MpumalangaCloudy with morning drizzle along the escarpment, otherwise fine and cool to warmNot given
LimpopoCloudy with morning drizzle along the escarpment, otherwise fine and warm to hotNot given
North WestFine and hotNot given
Free StateMorning fog in the east, otherwise fine and warm to hot, partly cloudy in the afternoonNot given
Northern CapeFine and warm to hot, very hot in placesNot given
Western CapePartly cloudy along the southern coast, otherwise fineVery high
Eastern Cape (west)Fog in the south at first, otherwise fine and warm to hot, cool along parts of the coastNot given
Eastern Cape (east)Fog in most places at first, otherwise fine and warm but cool in placesNot given
KwaZulu-NatalMorning fog in the western interior, then partly cloudy and cool to warm, isolated showers and thundershowers in the northHigh

Source: SAWS forecast via AfriWX, The Citizen, SA Weather Service on X.

With a very high UV index forecast for the Western Cape and high in Gauteng and KZN, SAWS advises people to take precautions against long periods in the sun (The Citizen).

Where can I check for updates?

SAWS updates its warnings daily on weathersa.co.za and on its X account, @SAWeatherServic. Warnings can be upgraded or lifted at short notice, so check again before travelling.

FAQ

Is there a heatwave in the Eastern Cape this week?

Yes. SAWS has a heatwave advisory for places in the Inxuba Yethemba Local Municipality, which includes Cradock and Middelburg, from Thursday, 29 October, until Saturday, 31 October 2026.

Where is the fire danger extremely high on 29 October 2026?

SAWS expects extremely high veld fire conditions over the Kamiesberg Local Municipality in the Northern Cape and the Matzikama Local Municipality in the Western Cape.

Are there any storm warnings for Thursday, 29 October 2026?

No. SAWS has issued no impact-based warnings for Thursday. KwaZulu-Natal can expect isolated showers and thundershowers in the north.

Sources