Ladysmith, Ulundi temperature to reach close to 40°C: SAWS

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) says the excessive heat currently being experienced in KwaZulu-Natal could be attributed to climate change.

The Weather Service has issued an advisory for a heatwave in northern parts of the province.

Forecaster Ayanda Nsele says while the heatwave alert is ending Friday, temperatures will not drop significantly and conditions will remain fairly hot, just below heatwave thresholds.

She has urged members of the public to stay hydrated and take necessary safety precautions.

“Over the past few days, SAWS issued a heatwave advisory. Say, for example, today, like your areas, like Ladysmith, we’re expecting a maximum temperature of 38 or 39 in Ulundi. So, the northern areas are still expected to be quite hot for today. As much as we ended the heatwave advisory today, it doesn’t mean that the temperatures will be dropping. It just means that maximum temperatures are dropping below the threshold that we have set, set for ourselves. But it will still remain fairly warm going into the next week as well.”

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Emergency services in and around Durban have responded to several calls involving both young and elderly people who collapsed due to the extreme humidity in various parts of the city.

Spokesperson Garrith Jamieson says children and the elderly are most at risk during high temperatures. He adds that many cases are linked to dehydration, as people are not drinking enough fluids.

“Please manage your intake; as you sweat, you lose bodily fluids. You need to rehydrate yourself as well. Please take heed and drink a lot of water should you not need to work in the sun. Please take caution and rather wait for this excessive sun to subside into the afternoon. Please also take care of the elderly and the young as well, as obviously they are more susceptible to dehydration a lot quicker than an average adult.”