Weather Hooligan on what SA can expect from El Niño
Weather forecaster Juandre Vorster warns that the return of El Niño will likely bring hotter and drier conditions to South Africa, potentially straining water supplies and agriculture. He urges municipalities to repair infrastructure and citizens to conserve water in anticipation of the coming season.
Why it matters
Proactive management of water resources is vital for mitigating the public health and economic risks associated with climate-driven weather extremes.
Weather Hooligan Juandre Vorster. Picture: Supplied
After almost five years of unusually wet summers, South Africa is in for a hot and dry season as El Niño returns. Instead of panicking, independent weather forecaster Juandre Vorster, also known as The Weather Hooligan , said South Africans should use the return of a proper Highveld summer to their advantage.
There are, however, several caveats that should not be ignored.
“The biggest concern is not simply soaring temperatures. It is what they could mean for already strained water supplies, agriculture and public health,” he said. “If prolonged heat and below-average rainfall become the norm over the coming months, we could see the country come under a lot of pressure.”
Vorster said western parts of the country, particularly the Northern Cape, could bear the brunt of the expected conditions, while Gauteng could see temperatures climb well above the seasonal average.
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