Shanaaz Prince
THE thousands of festinos heading to Grahamstown for the start of the National Arts Festival today should pack in lots of warm clothes for the city’s notoriously chilly nights this time of year.
While the night-time temperatures are expected to plunge to an icy 5°C, festival-goers can expect warmer temperatures during the day.
South African Weather Service spokesman Garth Sampson said the cold front experienced in the Eastern Cape this week was nearing its end and temperatures were warming up in the province.
"The weather is improving,” Sampson said. "We are moving away from the colder conditions and most of this week will be sunny.”
However, Grahamstown would still be relatively cold.
"Grahamstown this time of year is always cold.
"From what I can tell now, temperatures are dropping to about five degrees at night, but remaining in the mid-teens – up to 18 or 19 degrees – during the day,” he said.
Although snowfalls had been forecast in parts of the Eastern Cape earlier this week, Sampson said there had not been reports of snow yet.
The coldest places in the country are high-lying areas such as Bloemfontein and Barkly East.
