38°C in Kimberley and Mahikeng: Thursday heatwave and fire warnings
SAWS forecasts 38°C in Kimberley, Mahikeng, Vryburg and Upington on Thursday 12 November, a heatwave until Friday over five provinces, and extremely high fire danger in the Northern Cape and Free State.
Thursday, 12 November 2026, will be hot to very hot across much of the interior, with highs of 38°C forecast for Kimberley, Mahikeng, Vryburg and Upington and 37°C for Bloemfontein, according to the South African Weather Service (SAWS) forecast issued on Wednesday afternoon (SAWS via AfriWX). SAWS has also warned of extremely high fire danger over most of the Northern Cape and parts of four other provinces.
Which areas are under a heatwave advisory?
SAWS says a heatwave with persistently high temperatures is expected until Friday, 13 November, over these areas (SAWS via AfriWX):
- the north-eastern parts of the Northern Cape
- North West
- the Free State, except the south-western parts
- Gauteng
- places in southern and south-western Limpopo
No impact-based warnings were issued for Thursday (SAWS via AfriWX).
Where is the fire danger extremely high?
SAWS expects extremely high fire danger conditions over (The Citizen):
- the Northern Cape, except the south-western and extreme north-western parts
- the Matzikama local municipality in the Western Cape
- the western parts of the Joe Gqabi district municipality in the Eastern Cape
- the Free State
- the western parts of North West
How hot will it get in your city on Thursday?
| City | Min | Max | Forecast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kimberley | 16°C | 38°C | Fine |
| Mahikeng | 18°C | 38°C | Fine, becoming partly cloudy |
| Vryburg | 15°C | 38°C | Fine |
| Upington | 19°C | 38°C | Fine |
| Bloemfontein | 17°C | 37°C | Fine |
| Pretoria | 19°C | 34°C | Isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers |
| Vereeniging | 16°C | 34°C | Fine, becoming partly cloudy |
| Johannesburg | 17°C | 32°C | Fine, becoming partly cloudy |
| Polokwane | 15°C | 32°C | Partly cloudy |
| Mbombela | 16°C | 26°C | Cloudy at first |
| Durban | 20°C | 24°C | Cloudy at times, isolated showers |
Source: SAWS forecast for 12 November 2026 (AfriWX, The South African)
AccuWeather, quoted by EWN, puts Cape Town at a much milder 22°C (EWN).
What about the rest of the country?
SAWS expects isolated to scattered thundershowers over the eastern parts of the country (The Citizen). By province:
| Province | Thursday forecast |
|---|---|
| Gauteng | Fine and hot, very hot in places in the north, isolated afternoon thundershowers in the north |
| North West | Fine and hot to very hot, isolated afternoon thundershowers in the north-east |
| Free State | Fine and hot to very hot, morning fog in the east |
| Northern Cape | Hot to very hot over the central and eastern parts |
| Limpopo | Warm to hot, very hot in the western Bushveld |
| Mpumalanga | Partly cloudy and warm to hot |
| Western Cape | Cool to warm, hot over the Central Karoo |
| Eastern Cape | Cool in the south with light rain along the coast, otherwise fine and warm |
| KwaZulu-Natal | Cool to warm, isolated showers and rain except in the north-west |
Source: SAWS via The Citizen
What should you do in the heat?
SAWS puts the UVB sunburn index at "very high" for Gauteng and the Western Cape and says residents should take precautions against prolonged sun exposure (The Citizen). The AccuWeather forecast quoted by EWN warns of a possible risk of dehydration and heatstroke during strenuous outdoor activity in Pretoria (EWN).
Reported also covered the Gauteng heatwave forecast for Wednesday to Friday.
FAQ
How long will the heatwave last?
SAWS says the heatwave over parts of the Northern Cape, North West, Free State, Gauteng and Limpopo is expected to last until Friday, 13 November 2026.
Which city will be hottest on Thursday?
Kimberley, Mahikeng, Vryburg and Upington are each forecast to reach 38°C, according to SAWS.
Where is fire danger extremely high on Thursday?
Over most of the Northern Cape, Matzikama in the Western Cape, western Joe Gqabi in the Eastern Cape, the Free State and western North West.