News24.com | Thursday's weather: Scorching day as heatwave set to affect several provinces

The South African Weather Service has issued a yellow level 2 warning for damaging winds between Port Alfred and Port Edward in the Eastern Cape.

A yellow level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms was issued for Blue Crane Route, Makana, Buffalo City and Amathole of the Eastern Cape.

Extremely high fire danger conditions are expected over the Northern Cape, Central Karoo of the Western Cape, parts of the North West, western parts of Mpumalanga, parts of the Western Bushveld of Limpopo, and the eastern and south-eastern parts of the Free State.

A heatwave with persistently high temperatures is expected over Sarah Baartman, Chris Hani, Amathole, OR Tambo and Mbizana in the Eastern Cape.

Khai-Ma in the Northern Cape and the Central and Little Karoo in the Western Cape will also be affected by the heatwave until Friday.

Additionally, Thembelihle, Kai !Garib, Dawid Kruiper, !Kheis, Renosterberg, Emthanjeni, Umsobomvu, Letsemeng and Kopanong will be affected until Sunday.

Gauteng will be fine and warm, but hot in the north. The expected UVB sunburn index is extreme.

It will be partly cloudy in the east of Mpumalanga, with morning fog along the escarpment.

Otherwise, the province can expect fine and warm conditions.

Partly cloudy conditions will occur in the east of Limpopo at first, otherwise, the province will be fine and warm to hot.

The North West will be fine and hot.

Conditions will be fine and warm to hot in the Free State.

It will be fine and hot in the Northern Cape, but scorching in the central parts of the province, becoming partly cloudy in the afternoon.

The west will be warm.

The wind along the coast will be light to moderate southerly to south-easterly.

Partly cloudy to fine conditions will prevail over the western parts of the Western Cape, where it will be cool to warm.

Otherwise, the province will be cloudy and warm, but scorching over the eastern interior.

The wind along the coast will be light to moderate, becoming fresh south of Saldanha Bay.

It will direct towards the east along the south coast, where it will become south-westerly from the afternoon.

The expected UVB sunburn index is high.

The wind along the Eastern Cape coast will be light to moderate south-easterly at times in the morning, otherwise north-easterly, reaching strong in the afternoon. It will become strong westerly from the evening.

It will be cloudy in the morning, otherwise, partly cloudy and hot to very hot, with isolated showers and thundershowers.

The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh north-easterly, becoming strong from the afternoon.

Morning fog patches are set to occur in KwaZulu-Natal, otherwise, it will be fine and hot.

The wind along the coast will be gentle to moderate easterly to north-easterly, becoming fresh south of Port Shepstone in the afternoon.

The expected UVB sunburn index is extreme.