It may be freezing, but SA has seen colder days

It may be freezing outside but this is certainly not one of the coldest days that South Africa has had.

According to the forecaster from the SA Weather Service‚ Puseletso Mofokeng‚ this day is not even in the top three of the coldest days we have had in recent years.

"It is cold‚ yes‚ but in terms of the rating‚ it could even be tenth‚" said Mofokeng.

"I can refer you to the day of July 6 1996 which could have been the coldest day in South Africa. On that day‚ the maximum temperatures near Lesotho were at two degrees.

"In the Eastern Cape‚ the maximum temperatures were below freezing at around minus two degrees. In Gauteng‚ the maximum was around seven degrees. I'm not dismissing the fact that it is cold but we have had colder days‚" he added.

Do you remember the 7th August 2012?

On that day‚ temperatures got so cold that even parts of Gauteng experienced snowfall.

"So this [cold front] is not that strong‚" Mofokeng emphasised.

While parts of the Cape mountains are currently blanketed in snow‚ Mofokeng said the snow will have probably dissolved within three days.

But this doesn't mean there are warm days ahead.

Mofokeng said another cold system was coming.

While it may not dip temperatures too low‚ they expect that the maximum temperatures will remain below 20 degrees.

"The Western Cape and Eastern Cape will recover [in temperature] more quickly as the system moves to Western Botswana and Namibia‚" he added.

"That system will move back on Sunday and may result in the likelihood of showers in the North West province‚ Gauteng‚ Free State and KwaZulu-Natal and parts of the Highveld‚" Mofokeng said.

- TimesLIVE