A strong cold front will bring heavy rain‚ gale-force winds and cold conditions to the Western Cape on Thursday.

Cape Town was basking in a sunny 25˚C on Tuesday‚ ahead of the arrival of the cold front that will see temperatures in the Free State‚ North West‚ Gauteng and Mpumalanga plummet by Saturday.

The South African Weather Service warned on Tuesday that heavy rain leading to flooding was expected over Cape Town‚ the Cape Winelands‚ and western parts of the Overberg and West Coast districts on Thursday and extending into Friday. There is a possibility of flash flooding. The cold front will also affect the Northern Cape

Significant rainfall amounts can be expected from Thursday morning‚ where spells of heavy downpours are likely from late morning into the afternoon‚” said the weather service.

There will be very rough sea conditions along the west coast between Cape Columbine and Cape Agulhas‚ where wave heights are likely to reach 4-6m on Thursday afternoon‚ coinciding with the spring high tide.

“Coastal damage may occur along the south-west coastal regions. Small vessels should ideally remain in port during this period.

“Gale-force north-westerly winds (65-70km/h) are expected between Cape Columbine and Cape Agulhas on Thursday‚ moderating overnight.