Snow falls across Johannesburg as Gauteng endures bitter cold snap

Brief

Sleet and snow were reported across parts of Johannesburg on 11 August 2026, with several suburbs seeing wintry conditions as a cold snap gripped Gauteng.

Where it fell

Storm Report SA recorded snowfall in Meyersdal, Alberton, Glenvista, Kensington and Germiston on the East Rand. Gauteng Weather confirmed the first reports of sleet and snow in the area.

“Breaking: First reports of sleet mixed with snow in parts of Germiston and surrounding areas,”

🔴 BREAKING: FIRST REPORTS OF SLEET MIXED WITH SNOW IN PARTS OF GERMISTON & SURROUNDING AREAS ☃️ https://t.co/8ZQ3d7ARzh

Gauteng Weather (@tWeatherSA) August 11, 2026

Forecast and temperatures

The province was forecast to be cloudy and cold with scattered showers and thundershowers, and light snowfall expected in the south during the evening.

Forecast temperatures published with the report included a Johannesburg minimum of 1°C and a high of 4°C. Vereeniging was forecast to reach a minimum of 0°C and a high of 5°C, while Pretoria was forecast to dip to 3°C with a high of 7°C.

Safety advice from the province

The Gauteng provincial government urged residents to prioritise safety as the cold snap brought icy rain, plunging temperatures and hazardous road conditions. The province warned against illegal power connections, unsafe heating methods and reckless travel during the cold weather.

Spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said the combination of rain, cold conditions and wet roads could create additional risks for motorists, pedestrians and vulnerable communities, and appealed to residents to exercise extreme caution when using heaters, stoves, candles, paraffin appliances, braziers or open fires.

Context

The report noted that Johannesburg last experienced snow on 10 July 2023.

Source details

This account is based on reports published on 11 August 2026 by The Citizen and information from Storm Report SA and Gauteng Weather. The original article was by Faizel Patel and timestamped 11 August 2026, 11:48 am.