Brace for a wild weekend of rain, wind and rough seas

Cloudy and rainy conditions are expected across parts of the Western and Eastern Cape this weekend, with stronger winds along the coast.

South Africa is set for a mixed weekend of warm temperatures, cloudy skies and periods of rain, with strong winds and dangerous coastal conditions expected in several areas.

Saturday will bring generally fine and cool to warm weather across the interior, although conditions will be noticeably more unsettled over the southern and south-western parts of the country.

The Western Cape will be cloudy and cool, with morning fog along the south coast and nearby interior. Isolated showers and rain are expected across much of the province, increasing to scattered showers along the south coast and adjacent interior.

Rain chances will generally be around 30% over the western and central parts, rising to 60% in areas along the southern coastline and parts of the Garden Route.

The Northern Cape will be warmer, with partly cloudy skies and hot conditions in places. Cloudy weather is expected in the west, while the central interior will turn windy.

A Yellow Level 2 warning remains in place for damaging interior winds across parts of the Karoo and Namakwa, with strong crosswinds potentially creating problems for high-sided vehicles on exposed roads. Extremely high fire danger will also be a major concern across parts of the Northern Cape, Western Cape and Eastern Cape.

The Eastern Cape will start partly cloudy and warm to hot, before cloud increasing along the southern coast during the afternoon.

Isolated showers and rain are expected, becoming more widespread along parts of the west coast and adjacent interior. Along the coast, winds will strengthen from the south-west later in the day.

KwaZulu-Natal should enjoy a mostly fine and warm Saturday, although morning fog is possible over parts of the interior. Northerly to north-easterly winds will strengthen along the coast, becoming strong at times.

A Yellow Level 2 warning for damaging wind and waves is in effect along the coast from Port Shepstone to Richards Bay, where rough conditions could disrupt small craft, ports and harbour activities.

Gauteng, the Free State and North West will have a largely dry weekend start, with fine conditions and temperatures ranging from cool to warm.

Mpumalanga will see morning fog patches over the eastern Highveld and Escarpment, while the Lowveld will be warmer and partly cloudy. Limpopo will be fine in the west but partly cloudy elsewhere, with cool to warm conditions.

Sunday will bring another mixed picture. The southern parts of the country remain the main focus for rainfall, with a 60%chance of showers and rain indicated over parts of the Eastern Cape and southern coastal areas.