Johannesburg: First snowfall in eleven years

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South Africa
Snow is falling in Johannesburg for the first time in eleven years

A Johannesburg resident rejoices in the snow – an extremely rare occurrence.

© Wikus de Wet / AFP

Many countries in the northern hemisphere are groaning under the heat. The world literally looks different in the South African city of Johannesburg: residents were amazed at the first snow in eleven years.

In South Africa’s economic metropolis Johannesburg has snowed for the first time in eleven years. On Monday in the surrounding province of Gauteng, the coldest temperatures of this year’s winter were measured at minus 2 degrees Celsius, which rose to 6 to 13 degrees during the day. The authorities warned the population to keep warm. Farmers should protect their livestock. Cold temperatures were expected for the whole week.

Johannesburg experiences first snowfall in eleven years

“I’ve lived in Johannesburg all my life and this is maybe the second time I’ve seen snow,” a resident told the German Press Agency on Monday. “I expected a lot more because it’s so cold today. But I’m concerned about the people living on the streets. They need help.”

In Gauteng, where Johannesburg and the capital Pretoria are located, it snows on average about every ten years, according to the South African Weather Service – most recently on August 7, 2012. In other parts of the country in the southern hemisphere, too, very little snow falls in winter. According to the South African Weather Service, it also snowed in the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga provinces on Monday. Except for delays in rush-hour traffic, there were no major disruptions.

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DPA

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