Parts of South Africa saw an unusual snowfall, weather forecasters issue a warning about potentially dangerously low temperatures.
On Monday, a rare snowstorm blanketed Johannesburg and other high-lying regions of South Africa, prompting weather agencies to issue advisories about the possibility of road closures and dangerously low temperatures.
As a “cut-off low” weather system developed from a cold front that slammed the nation late last week, residents of the commercial centre awoke to light snowfalls softly covering rooftops and gardens.
Some of the ecstatic kids, who had never seen snow before, created snowballs and tried to capture flakes with their tongues at a kindergarten in Johannesburg.
Puseletso Mofokeng, a senior forecaster at the South African Weather Service (SAWS), stated that the last time this kind of weather occurred was in 2012.
According to Mofokeng, the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, as well as high-lying portions of Johannesburg’s Gauteng province, are also anticipated to experience snowfall today,.
“Roads may be closed,” he said.
At almost 1,700 metres (5,600 feet) above sea level, Johannesburg is in the thick of the southern hemisphere winter. However, snow continues to be an uncommon occurrence in the city; the last time it snowed heavily was in 1996, according to Mofokeng.
“It’s been such a long time, I feel so happy,” said Lerato Matepese, a Johannesburg resident.
In a nation where poverty is still pervasive, SAWS cautioned that freezing temperatures presented a risk to people living on the streets.
Small boats near the eastern coast of South Africa were predicted to encounter hazardous conditions due to choppy waves and heavy winds.
