File: A thermometer showing temperatures during a heatwave.
JOHANNESBURG - South Africa could be in for a hot, dry summer as a potentially powerful El Niño forms in the Pacific Ocean.
The South African Weather Service reports that the 2026/27 El Niño has already reached levels typical of a very strong event and could intensify further this spring.
The latest forecast predicts below-normal rainfall and above-normal temperatures across most of the country from October to December.
READ | Over a dozen Australian suncreams pulled over safety concerns
Similar conditions are expected to persist into early next year.
SAWS warns that the heat and reduced rainfall could fuel severe heatwaves, drought, and pressure on water resources.
But the weather service notes that El Niño doesn’t guarantee drought, as regional impacts can vary from one event to the next.