Joburg can expect bitterly cold weather from Sunday morning, so wrap up warmly.

IT'S been warmer over the past few days, but that’s set to change next week when bitterly cold weather sets in to Joburg, the South African Weather Service reports.

The cold front is expected to hit on Sunday morning.

Keep warm, EMS urges

“There is a possibility of showers over the Johannesburg/Soweto area on Sunday morning and again on Wednesday. It will become bitterly cold in Johannesburg next week,” says Evert Scholtz, a forecaster at the weather service.

The expected showers and colder conditions are caused by the eastward passage of the upper trough and a steep upper air cut-off low pressure system.

“Normally every winter we experience two to three cold fronts,” says Scholtz.

The Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (EMS) will be on high alert, specifically on fire calls associated with open flames, according to EMS’s acting communications manager Percy Morokane.

Morokane says braziers, paraffin stoves and heaters can spark dangerous fires if misused.

He says although certain people cannot resist the urge to use braziers and heaters, they should avoid drying their clothes on them as this could start a fire, and lead to a loss of life and property.

Advice for hypothermia
With schools on holiday at the moment, parents and guardians are urged to keep their children warmly dressed as these cold conditions may cause hypothermia, he says.

Hypothermia is a condition where the body temperature drops below 35 degrees Celsius and it can be fatal if it is not attended to early on. Hypothermia is treated by preserving body heat and preventing further heat from being lost.

Morokane gives the following advice when treating someone with mild hypothermia at home, or waiting for medical treatment to arrive:

• Move the person indoors, or somewhere warm, as soon as possible.
• Ensure they change out of any wet clothing.
• Wrap them in blankets, towels, coats, or whatever you have, protecting the head and torso first. Your own body heat can help someone with hypothermia, so try hugging them gently.
• If possible, give the person carbohydrates to eat for rapid energy, or fats to provide prolonged fuel to the body.
• Give them warm drinks, but not alcohol.
• Once the body temperature has risen, be sure to keep the person warm and dry.

Hypothermia needs urgent medical treatment in hospital. The severity of shivering is a good indication of how serious the problem is.

Once treated by a doctor, a patient with hypothermia will be given warm fluids intravenously (through the vein) to warm up the body from the inside.

So over the next few days bundle up warmly and remember to use heating appliances and live fire with care to prevent accidents.

• For more information contact the South African Weather Service on 082 233 9800.

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