Sinegugu Ndlovu
COLD temperatures swept across KwaZulu-Natal yesterday as snow fell in the southern Drakensberg, transforming the area into a winter wonderland.
Weather bureau forecaster Lucky Makhwedzha said the snow was mainly isolated to the mountains.
Makhwedzha said the temperature in the Underberg area peaked at 10°C. Pietermaritzburg experienced a low of 9°C and peaked at 17°C, while Durbanites shivered as the mercury struggled to reach 21°C. In the Eastern Cape, snowfalls led to the closure of Barkly Pass, between Barkly East and Elliot.
Although the country was set to get warmer, with a cold front already out of the country, another was likely to hit tomorrow, the weather bureau said.
This front was approaching from the south-west and was expected to reach the Western Cape tomorrow.
Gale force winds also battered the coast, with swells of up to 5m being measured off Durban.
Durban Port Control confirmed that two vessels had been delayed due to heavy winds yesterday.
Dolla Bruce, manager of Willowdale Lodge, Kokstad, said the area had about 5cm of snow. She said snow was still falling lightly at 6am.
“Everything was white. It looked beautiful; it was a winter wonderland.
“The guests loved it; they came out and took pictures. But the sun came out and it started drizzling,” she said.
By late morning, the snow had disappeared.
Bruce said the area had not had a snowfall in two years.