FREEZE FRAME ESSAY
Snow blankets Eastern Cape towns as ‘bitterly cold’ temperatures hit the southern Drakensberg
Residents of Barkly East and Lady Grey in the northeastern region of the Eastern Cape awoke to a fresh dusting of snow on Thursday morning. This was after the South African Weather Service warned of icy temperatures and disruptive snow, which could produce treacherous driving conditions.
The town of Barkly East in the northeastern region of the Eastern Cape was covered in snow on 29 June, 2023. (Photo: Lesley Maise)
Snow falls in Barkly East, Eastern Cape on 29 June, 2023. The South African Weather Service (Saws) had warned on Wednesday, that parts of South Africa and Lesotho were in for a brutal cold snap in the coming days. The Saws forecasted snowfall in several towns in the northeastern parts of the Eastern Cape province. (Photo: Brenda Mollentze)
Snow covers a road in Barkly East on 29 June, 2023. The South African Weather Service had warned that some roads and mountain passes connecting communities on the southern Drakensberg in the Eastern Cape could be closed on Thursday, following the potential disruptive snow on the roads and railways, especially during the morning hours. (Photo: EJ Mollentze)
Snow in the town of Lady Grey in the Eastern Cape on 29 June, 2023. The South African Weather Service had warned that the towns of Molteno, Barkly East, Lady Grey and Matatiele could be affected by disruptive snowfall on Thursday. (Photo: Supplied)
A road is covered in snow on the morning of Thursday, 29 June 2023, in the town of Barkly East in the Eastern Cape. (Photo: EJ Mollentze)
Heavy snowfall in the southern Drakensberg region on Thursday, 29 June, 2023 has transformed the town of Barkly East in the Eastern Cape into a winter wonderland. (Photo: EJ Mollentze)
Snow falls in the garden of a home in Barkly East, Eastern Cape on 29 June, 2023. (Photo: Brenda Mollentze)
Outdoor furniture and pot plants in the garden of a home in Barkly East are covered in snow on 29, June 2023. (Photo: Brenda Mollentze)
A snow-covered tree in the central town of Barkly East on 29 June, 2023. (Photo: Lesley Maise)
The branches of trees in the town of Barkly East are covered in snow on Thursday morning, 29 June, 2023. The South African Weather Service said that these snowy conditions were the result of the passage of a cut-off low system along the west coast of South Africa. (Photo: Lesley Maise)
Barkly East’s winter landscape on 29 June, 2023. The South African Weather Service has warned that disruptive snow could affect roads and mountain passes in the area, and the icy temperatures could also claim livestock in the region. (Photo: EJ Mollentze)
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Thank you for this! Few words, lots of pictures.
“A picture paints a thousand words”. Truly a winter wonderland. Enkosi kakhulu!