Lack of wind causes temperatures to soar

SIZZLING summer temperatures which saw thousands flock to beaches across Nelson Mandela Bay were the hottest since 2000 – and the heat is set to stay for quite some time.

With an average maximum temperature last month of 26°C, something which might surprise locals was the lack of wind – not a single gale-force gust was recorded last month.

Weather SA’s Garth Sampson said the main cause of the hotter conditions was the fact that there were “less strong cooling westerly winds”.

Based on long-term averages, he said, more hot weather could be expected this month and next, traditionally the warmest months for the region . The average maximum temperature this month is expected to be 25.5°C, with the overall average 21.5°C. Next month the average maximum should be 25.7°C and the average 21.7°C.

Today should see a maximum of 30°C, dropping to below 25°C tomorrow due to light rain, Sampson said. The cooler conditions are set to continue till Friday.

But this would be “short-lived, with maximum temperatures returning to the high 20s over the weekend”, he said.

Sea temperature records also fell last month.

Sampson said the second highest recorded daily sea temperature occurred in December 2004 when 23.5°C was measured.

“On the 30th of [last month] the recorded sea temperature was 23.9°C and the next day, the 31st, the temperature was a whopping 24.3°C,” he said.

While a record for December, the all-time record sea temperature for Port Elizabeth was in March 2001 when a temperature of 26.5C was measured