Unprecedented snowfall grinds Eastern Cape to halt
SOUTH AFRICA- Historic summer snow surprises Eastern Cape, South Africa, for the first time in 85 years, disrupting roads and fueling climate debates.
Less than two months after devastating snowstorms in KwaZulu-Natal Province claimed a life and closed a major highway, the Eastern Cape is grappling with its own snowfall affecting multiple areas across the province.
South Africa Weather Service (SAWS) reports South Africa’s first major November snowfall in 85 years, marking an unprecedented winter event, announced on Wednesday via X (formerly Twitter).
Lehlohonolo Thobela, a weather forecaster at the South African Weather Service, explained.
“South Africa’s summer season kicks off in November, usually marked by scorching heat. However, this week, snowfall enveloped Eastern Cape province. Last September, a similar snow event brought widespread disruptions particularly on the N3 highway, a vital link between Johannesburg and Durban, leaving motorists stranded.”
“The snowstorm was sparked by a rare ‘cut-off low’ weather system, characterized by a low-pressure zone that isolates cold air, triggering rain and snow in the region.”
“The frequency of these cut-off low systems is on the rise, particularly during spring,” said Thobela.
Snowfall hit on Tuesday, crippling high-altitude routes like Lootsberg Pass (N9 highway) and Wapadsberg Pass with heavy rain exacerbating travel dangers.
