Motorists and holiday travellers are being warned to expect snow, heavy rain, strong winds and possible flooding as a powerful winter storm moves across South Africa during the long weekend.
As South Africans continue to feel the brunt of winter, we are increasingly seeing weather alerts carrying labels such as Yellow Level 2, Yellow Level 4, Orange Level 5 or 6, and Red Level 10.
But what do those warnings actually mean, and when does a warning about “damaging winds” or "severe rain" become a reason to be concerned?
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) uses an impact-based warning system designed to communicate not only what weather is expected, but also the potential consequences for people, infrastructure and communities.
The warning colour indicates the potential severity of the impact, while the number indicates the likelihood of that impact occurring. Basically, a higher number does not simply mean stronger wind or more rain. It means forecasters have a different level of confidence that the expected impact will occur.
