The main purpose of this ongoing blog will be to track planetary extreme, or record temperatures related to climate change. Any reports I see of ETs will be listed below the main topic of the day. I’ll refer to extreme or record temperatures as ETs (not extraterrestrials).😉
Main Topic: Immense Heat Dome Has Built Across South Africa
Dear Diary. It is just the beginning of meteorological summer across the Southern Hemisphere where we already see amped up heat domes from climate change producing torrid heat waves across major land masses. Today we will concentrate on South Africa.
A very strong heat wave has built across South Africa and will continue to grow through Tuesday:
Weather historian Maximiliano Herrera has been issuing statements concerning record heat in South Africa the last few days:
Here is more from a South African news outlet:
Monday’s weather: Severe thunderstorms in Limpopo, Mpumalanga as heatwave persists across SA
The South African Weather Service has issued a yellow level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms in parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected in parts of the Western Cape, Northern Cape, Free State and Eastern Cape.
A heatwave, with persistently high temperatures, is expected in parts of the Northern Cape, Free State, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo until Wednesday.
Impact-based warnings:
Yellow level 2 warning: Severe Thunderstorms, leading to localised damage to infrastructure, property, vehicles, and injuries (livelihood and livestock) due to hail, damaging winds, heavy downpours and excessive lightning, are expected over the central and south-eastern parts of Limpopo as well as north-eastern Mpumalanga.
Fire danger warnings:
Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over most of the Western Cape interior, Northern Cape, central and western Free State and the northern and western interior of the Eastern Cape.
Advisories:
A heatwave, with persistently high temperatures, is expected over the central, eastern and north-western parts of the Northern Cape, the northern interior of Eastern Cape, the Free State, North West, the northern parts of KwaZulu-Natal, the Lowveld of Mpumalanga and the Lowveld, western Bushveld and the Valley of Limpopo until at least Wednesday.
Extremely hot and uncomfortable conditions are expected over the Namakwa District of the Northern Cape, the central Karoo, northern parts of the West Coast District, Breede River Valley and the Little Karoo of the Western Cape until Tuesday, and over the Lowveld of Mpumalanga and the Lowveld, western Bushveld and Valley of Limpopo from Tuesday until Friday.
The weather in your province
Gauteng: Expect partly cloudy and warm conditions, with scattered showers and thundershowers. Keep an umbrella handy if you plan to be outdoors.
Pretoria: 19°C — 32°C
Johannesburg: 17°C — 30°C
Vereeniging: 18°C — 31°C
Mpumalanga: A day of partly cloudy and warm to hot weather is expected, with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers possible.
Mbombela: 19°C — 34°C
Ermelo: 15°C — 27°C
Emalahleni: 16°C — 27°C
Standerton: 15°C — 27°C
Skukuza: 23°C — 39°C
Limpopo: The region will experience partly cloudy and warm to hot conditions, accompanied by isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers.
Polokwane: 18°C — 30°C
Phalaborwa: 21°C — 37°C
Tzaneen: 18°C — 34°C
Musina: 22°C — 38°C
Lephalale: 21°C — 34°C
Mokopane: 19°C — 31°C
North West: The central and western parts will start off fine until late morning. Later, it’s anticipated to be partly cloudy and hot to very hot, with isolated showers and thundershowers. Scattered showers are more likely in the east.
Klerksdorp: 19°C — 38°C
Potchefstroom: 20°C — 38°C
Mahikeng: 21°C — 36°C
Rustenburg: 22°C — 37°C
Vryburg: 18°C — 39°C
Free State: Similar to the North West, fine weather is expected over the central and western parts until late morning. Thereafter, partly cloudy and hot to very hot conditions will prevail, with isolated showers and thundershowers in central and eastern areas.
Bloemfontein: 16°C — 38°C
Welkom: 19°C — 37°C
Bethlehem: 18°C — 35°C
Northern Cape: A fine day is in store, with temperatures ranging from very hot to extremely hot. Partly cloudy conditions will develop over northern and north-eastern parts later in the day. The coastal wind will be fresh to strong from the south to south-east.
Upington: 20°C — 41°C
Kimberley: 16°C — 40°C
De Aar: 17°C — 38°C
Alexander Bay: 15°C — 26°C
Springbok: 20°C — 36°C
Calvinia: 12°C — 38°C
Sutherland: 10°C — 32°C
Western Cape: Expect partly cloudy skies in the eastern parts during the morning, transitioning to fine and hot to very hot conditions. It’s expected to be warm along the west and southern coastal areas.
The coastal wind will be moderate to fresh east to south-easterly, strong along the south-west coast, and otherwise fresh southerly.
Cape Town: 16°C — 27°C
Vredendal: 15°C — 38°C
Riversdale: 13°C — 37°C
George: 15°C — 25°C
Worcester: 14°C — 38°C
Beaufort West: 17°C — 38°C
Oudtshoorn: 17°C — 39°C
Eastern Cape: Look forward to morning fog in some interior locations, otherwise fine and warm weather is on the horizon, with hot temperatures in the north.
Partly cloudy conditions will be present along the coast, with a light to moderate east to south-easterly wind.
Gqeberha: 18°C — 26°C
Makhanda: 14°C — 31°C
Cradock: 15°C — 39°C
Graaff-Reinet: 15°C — 36°C
East London: 19°C — 28°C
Port St Johns: 20°C — 29°C
Umtata: 18°C — 32°C
Komani: 15°C — 37°C
Qonce: 17°C — 30°C
Kwazulu-Natal: Partly cloudy and warm to hot weather prevails, with isolated showers and thundershowers likely. The coastal wind will be moderate to fresh north-easterly, strengthening in some areas during the afternoon.
Durban: 22°C — 27°C
Richard’s Bay: 24°C — 30°C
Pietermaritzburg: 21°C — 31°C
Ladysmith: 19°C — 37°C
During this week I’ll report on more extremes from South Africa like the ones issued below:
Here are more “ETs” recorded from around the planet the last couple of days, their consequences, and some extreme temperature outlooks, as well as any extreme precipitation reports:
Here is More Climate News from Sunday:
(As usual, this will be a fluid post in which more information gets added during the day as it crosses my radar, crediting all who have put it on-line. Items will be archived on this site for posterity. In most instances click on the pictures of each tweet to see each article. The most noteworthy items will be listed first.)