Johannesburg, South Africa was dressed in a white blanket of snow that fell intermittently throughout the day. “Locals can expect the light snow to continue until Wednesday morning,” said South African Weather Service forecaster Jacqueline Riet.
Snow last seen 2007 in Johannesburg, South Africa
The last time Johannesburg experienced a substantial snowfall was in June 2007. Before that, the city last saw a considerable amount of snow in 1981. A car guard outside the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court, who only gave his first name, said he had lived in the city for four years and had never seen snow there.
“It’s difficult to gauge how much snow has fallen as we don’t really measure snowfall, but it’s more than we have had since 2008,” Venetia Phakula, forecaster at the S.A Weather Service said.
Snow is a rare occurrence in Gauteng, with snowfall having been experienced in May 1956, August 1962, June 1964, September 1981 and on June 27 2007. September 1981 had the greatest snowfall on record, with statistics showing snowfall accumulating up to 10 centimetres across the province.
SAWS predicts the snowfall to cease completely during the early hours of Wednesday morning as temperatures marginally rise.
The spectacle saw residents brave the cold weather and head outdoors, snapping images of the spectacle on their digital cameras and mobile phones.
