Load shedding: Cold front ushers in Stage 4

In a short update on Monday, power utility Eskom confirmed that the country will be moving a load-shedding stage higher from lunchtime due to higher electricity demand stemming from the frigid weather conditions nationwide and a reduction in generation capacity.

From Tuesday, Stage 2 load shedding will be in place from 05:00 to 14:00; thereafter Stage 4 power cuts will resume until Wednesday at 05:00. This pattern is scheduled to continue until further notice.

As it stands Eskom’s generation fleet is without 14 252MW of generation capacity due to unplanned breakdowns, while an additional 4 118MW of capacity remains offline due to planned maintenance.

“Over the past 24 hours, a generating unit each at Duvha, Hendrina, Kendal, Kriel, Matimba and Medupi power stations was returned to service. In the same period, a generation unit each at Arnot and Tutuka power stations was taken out of service due to breakdowns,” the utility said.

“The delay in returning to service two generating units at Tutuka Power Station is contributing to the current capacity constraints. Eskom teams are working around the clock to return the generating units to service.”

Extreme weather

Regional weather forecaster Gauteng Weather recently warned that residents may be in for a chilly couple of days as a cold front passing through the province is expected to drop temperatures to below zero.

The weather monitor further reported that temperatures recorded Sunday evening suggest it may have been the coldest night of the year so far.

⚠️ALERT: DAYTIME TEMPERATURES IN CONTENTION FOR ONE COLDEST DAYS OF THE PAST 12 YEARS, DUE TO STRONG #COLDFRONT

Further, the South African Weather Service reported snowfall in several parts of the country on Monday morning, including in Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga.

Last week, the national weather forecaster warned of “disruptive snow” in parts of KwaZulu-Natal, while provinces like the Western Cape and the Northern Cape reportedly experienced cold, wet and windy conditions over the past weekend.

Confirmed! What has been observed in parts of Gauteng including Soweto, Alberton, Roodepoort, Heidelberg and Vosloorus is indeed #snow ❄️. Light snowfall and sleet are still possible in parts of Mpumalanga today. More on https://t.co/6QWK1I3yJ3 #BeSafe #BeWeatherSMART https://t.co/brDwB8PNru

— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) July 10, 2023