Snow After 10 Years... What Happened in Johannesburg, South Africa?

Temperature Drops with First Snow Since 2012
"Very Rare Event" Cold Wave Arrives Alongside Strong Winds

Unlike the Northern Hemisphere, where heatwaves and monsoons continue, South Africa, entering midwinter, experienced a sharp drop in temperature with snow falling in some areas including Johannesburg.

On the 10th (local time), BBC and local broadcaster eNCA reported that a significant amount of snow fell in Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city and financial hub. It was the first time in about 10 years since 2012 that snow fell in Johannesburg, with the lowest temperature dropping to minus 4 degrees Celsius that day.

Unlike the continuing heatwave in the Northern Hemisphere, South Africa, entering midwinter, experienced a sharp drop in temperatures with snowfall in some areas including Johannesburg.
[Photo by EPA·Yonhap News]

Johannesburg is located at an altitude of over 1700 meters above sea level, so it rarely snows. The last time the city saw a heavy snowfall was in 1996, making this event very rare. The South African Weather Service forecasted that temperatures in Johannesburg would range from minus 2 to 11 degrees Celsius through the weekend.

Meanwhile, cold and humid weather continues across South Africa, with heavy snow falling not only in Johannesburg in central Gauteng Province but also in parts of Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. According to the South African Weather Service, roads in the highlands of Western Cape and Northern Cape provinces, where snow began falling last weekend, were closed in several places.

The South African Weather Service predicted that this cold wave, accompanied by strong winds, would continue for some time.

The weather service explained, "A cold front sharply lowered temperatures over Gauteng Province, creating conditions where the minimum temperature met the requirements for snow formation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.