Joburg EMS on high alert due to cold front

Gauteng residents have been advised to not put their winter clothes away yet, as a cold front lands from today.

The province has been experiencing warm weather conditions for the past few days, with temperatures reaching highs of 30°C mark several areas.

According to the South African Weather Service (SAWS), temperatures in Johannesburg could drop to as low as 17°C with a minimum of 6 °C, while temperatures in Tshwane could be around the 22°C mark.

The Weather Service says the weather in the province is expected to get warmer on Thursday, ahead of the weekend.

The City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services says it will remain on high alert.

EMS spokesperson, Robert Mulaudzi, says they are concerned about possible incidents that involve heating devices.

“These extremely cold temperatures will force most of our residents throughout the City of Johannesburg to use heating devices to try and warm themselves in the process leaving them vulnerable to fire incidents at home. Residents are urged to exercise caution when using heating devices not to leave them unattended, while in use to prevent fire incidents at home during this cold front.”

Mulaudzi says they will monitoring the situation closely.

“Our Disaster Management monitoring teams are also on high alert in all 7 regions of the City of Johannesburg and all our 29 Fire Stations are fully operational to deal with all emergencies which might occur during this cold front.”

This week, Gauteng and Cape province residents should brace themselves for a cold front. The cold is expected to hit parts of the country from Monday. #eNCA #DStv403 #QuestionThinkAct pic.twitter.com/kC3RdXLTyW

— eNCA (@eNCA) September 10, 2023

Ohhh that cold front is definitely coming in strong…. This wind??? Haibo 😭😭😭are we supposed to put away winter clothes or nah?

— Nzuri (@upendo_nzuri) September 11, 2023