GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - Graaff-Reinet and surrounding towns felt the cold front that hit parts of South Africa this week, with temperatures as low as -1°, -4° and 1° recorded in Graaff-Reinet, Nieu-Bethesda and Aberdeen respectively on Tuesday 26 May.
Rainfall was also welcomed in these areas, and the Nqweba Dam in Graaff-Reinet stood at 19,72% on Tuesday, according to municipal spokesperson Edwardine Abader.
Some Karoo locals were ecstatic to even see snow on Tuesday. Nieu Bethesda resident Dirkje Daling told the Advertiser that on Tuesday morning, no snow was visible in town, but it was still freezing cold.
"Our surrounding mountains will probably have some snow, but it's not visible from town through the clouds," she said.
However, at around 4pm that afternoon, she reported that snow was visibly falling outside. Willem and Luzahn Wagener from a farm in the Camdeboo district also felt the cold, with Toorberg at their doorstep under a blanket of snow.
The Eastern Cape Department of Transport announced on Tuesday evening that both the N9 from Graaff-Reinet to Middelburg and the R61 from Cradock towards the N9 was closed with immediate effect, as a result of dangerous driving conditions due to consistent snowfall.
Nieu-Bethesda also had snowfall. Photo: Dirkje Daling
According to Pumla Goba, weather forecaster at the Port Elizabeth Weather Office, temperatures are expected to continue dropping, especially during the evenings.
Focussing on Graaff-Reinet, she said the town would also experience strong winds at night.
Below zero temperatures were forecast for up to Wednesday, and Thursday 28 May was likely to see between 5° and 21°.
Goba expected temperatures between 8° and 19° degrees for this Karoo town on Friday.
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