One key trend that remains largely unchanged from previous forecasts is that across most of South Africa, the winter and spring of 2025 are expected to be warmer than usual. While this will be welcomed by many, it is worrying on a number of fronts.
The South African Weather Service has made a U-turn in its rolling five-month outlook for the southwest and the eastern coastal regions of the country.
From midwinter, the southwest is expected to have above-normal rainfall during its annual wet season, but then things will dry out as winter fades and spring emerges. But the eastern coastal areas are expected to get drenched right through to spring.
This is a marked departure from previous forecasts, which predicted an unseasonably dry winter for these areas.
“During winter and early spring, the areas that receive significant seasonal rainfall are limited to the southwestern parts of the country and the southern and eastern coastal areas,” the Weather Service said in its monthly Seasonal Climate Watch that looks five months ahead — in this case from June to October.
