Travel routes in Lesotho are affected by significant snowfall, prompting warnings for residents and travellers.
Image: ECDoT
An unusually intense cut-off low is tightening its grip over South Africa and Lesotho today, bringing a dramatic mix of heavy rain, damaging winds and disruptive snowfall that signals an early taste of winter across the region.
Fresh reports confirm that snow has already begun falling across high-lying parts of Lesotho and adjoining areas of South Africa, with more snowfall expected as the system deepens.
According to Weather Atlas, In Lesotho’s mountainous interior, where May typically marks the transition into colder, drier conditions, snowfall is not unheard of but remains relatively infrequent this early in the season, making this event particularly notable.
Across South Africa, the heaviest impacts are unfolding in the southern and eastern regions.
Along the Garden Route and parts of the Eastern Cape, rain chances are sitting at a widespread 80 to 100%, with persistent heavy rain likely to trigger flooding, road closures and significant travel disruptions. Coastal towns such as George and Gqeberha are bracing for continuous downpours, strong winds and rough seas.
Further inland, a sharp drop in temperatures is being felt. Snow is forecast over elevated terrain along the Eastern Cape highlands and into the southern Northern Cape, with icy conditions expected along mountain passes and border regions near Lesotho.
This aligns with ongoing snowfall reports from Lesotho’s high-altitude zones, where cold air and moisture are combining to produce wintry conditions more typical of mid-winter.
Rain chances decrease slightly moving north and west, with central areas such as Bloemfontein and Kimberley seeing around a 30 to 60% chance of showers, accompanied by strong winds and cold daytime temperatures. In Johannesburg and Pretoria, conditions remain unsettled with isolated thundershowers and rain chances near 30%, but the chill in the air will be noticeable.
Along the east coast, including Durban, scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected with rain chances around 60 percent, alongside the risk of severe thunderstorms capable of producing heavy downpours and localized flooding.
In Lesotho’s highlands and the bordering Drakensberg region, accumulating snow and plunging temperatures are likely to disrupt travel routes and isolate some communities. Combined with strong winds and ongoing rain in surrounding provinces, this system is shaping up to be one of the most impactful early winter events in recent years.
As the system continues through midweek, residents and travellers are urged to prepare for rapidly changing conditions, particularly in mountainous areas where snow and ice could make travel dangerous.
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