Snow turns Sutherland Observatory into a winter wonderland

Over the past few days, most parts of South Africa have seen a drop in temperatures.

Taking to social media, Storm Report South Africa has shared images of Sutherland Observatory in the Northern Cape covered in snow.

In the images captured by South African Large Telescope (SALT) telescope operator Thea Koen, the observatory is white, which could be the reason other parts of the country have been so cold.

Sutherland Observatory this morning. Photos by SALT telescope operator Thea Koen. pic.twitter.com/x1I7zfkBnn

— Storm Report SA (@StormReportSA1) July 13, 2021

Before the snowfall, the South African Weather Service warned South Africans about the gale-force winds and extreme cold front, snow, extremely high waves, and rainfall leading to flooding in the Western Cape, Northern Cape, and Eastern Cape from July 12, until Friday, July 16, 2021.

The town of #Sutherland covered with fresh #snow this morning. 📷Andries van Dyk pic.twitter.com/WE0HERzll1

— ReenvalSA (@ReenvalSA) July 13, 2021

“Strong winds are expected on Monday across the Cape provinces and may result in property damage in some areas, following the arrival of a strong cold front.

“This cold front will cause gale-force winds between Cape Columbine and Cape Agulhas. And significant wave heights, from a south-westerly direction, picking up to between 4.5 and 6.5m between Hondeklip Bay and Cape Agulhas during the morning hours, which is expected to spread along the south coast to Plettenberg Bay in the afternoon,” warned the SA Weather Service.

“Very cold conditions are also expected to set in, with daytime temperatures plummeting to below 10°C over the western mountains of the Western Cape as well as the southern high ground of the Northern Cape.

“These are the areas where there is a possibility of snowfalls, which may be as deep as 5 to 15cm over the western mountains in the Western Cape Province, as well as on the southern high ground of the Northern Cape. These conditions may lead to a loss of vulnerable livestock and crops, particularly on Monday.”

Residents are advised to stay home and keep safe.