Joburg Emergency Services on high alert as cold, rainy spell hits Gauteng

What the forecast says

The South African Weather Service (Saws) forecast for the province was for partly cloudy and cold to cool conditions with isolated showers and rain.

City response and precautions

Joburg EMS spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said the service is monitoring weather patterns across the city and remains on high alert, watching all seven regions for emergencies that might occur.

“Wet and extremely cold temperatures are being experienced in most parts of the City of Johannesburg. Residents are urged to exercise caution when using heating devices, such as heaters and paraffin stoves, and not to leave them unattended while in use, to prevent fire incidents during these extremely cold temperatures,”

Mulaudzi urged residents to contact emergency services for life-threatening emergencies at (011) 375-5911.

Impact on roads and wider weather alerts

The rainy conditions are likely to affect traffic across the province, and motorists were urged to take precautions on Gauteng’s roads.

Saws also issued a yellow level 2 warning for damaging coastal winds that could make navigation at sea difficult between Table Bay and Cape Agulhas.

Western Cape severe weather noted

The article also reported severe weather in the Western Cape, where torrential rainfall, severe thunderstorms, damaging winds and snowfall had affected large parts of the province. It said the storms had impacted areas including the Cape Metropole, Worcester, the Breede River Valley, Rawsonville, Ceres, Villiersdorp and Elim.

The report stated that about 150 000 people had been affected by those storms and that the events had claimed about eleven lives. The National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) had classified the severe weather affecting the Western Cape and other provinces as a national disaster, according to the source.

What residents should know

• EMS is monitoring all seven regions of Johannesburg and remains on high alert.
• Use heating devices with care do not leave heaters or paraffin stoves unattended.
• Motorists should take caution as rain may affect traffic conditions across Gauteng.
• For life‑threatening emergencies, contact the Emergency Services Command and Control Centre on (011) 375-5911.

The information in this report is drawn from a Citizen article published on 19 May 2026 and statements attributed to the City of Johannesburg Emergency Services and the South African Weather Service.