With the summer heat continuing to rise to over 30 degrees in KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday, emergency services have advised residents to stay hydrated and be aware of the symptoms of heat stroke and heat exhaustion.
The South African Weather Services (Saws) said that hot and humid weather is expected over the eastern parts of the province.
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“This will result in extremely uncomfortable conditions over the eastern parts of KZN on Tuesday,” Saws said.
The temperatures for the province, forecasted by Saws for January 6, 7 and 8, show areas in the eastern part of KZN experiencing extreme heat, with Pietermaritzburg (35), Riverview (36), KwaMbonambi (35) and uLundi (35) experiencing the highest temperatures.
While temperatures may be low, the apparent temperature, which refers to how hot the temperatures feel, rises well into the 30s, with Pietermaritzburg’s apparent temperature feeling more like 38.3 degrees.
Areas forecasted to experience 30 degrees and above are:
Ladysmith, 32 degrees but feels like 29.2
Kokstad, 30, but feels like 31.5
Paddock, 30 degrees, but feels like 31.6
Ixopo, 33 degrees but feels like 33.9
Durban, 32 degrees but feels like 38.1
Richards Bay, 35 degrees but feels like 34.0
Margate, 31 degrees but feels like 31.6
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ALS Paramedics has advised that during these coming hot days, residents should be aware of heat exhaustion and heat stroke symptoms.
The group said that if residents experience fainting, high body temperatures, dehydration, confusion or seizures, should contact emergency services.