It isn’t going to be freezing cold but the first signs of winter are creeping in this weekend with a cold front in Gauteng, here is how to prepare.
Get ready people of Gauteng, the first cold front of the season is on the way so it is officially time to dust off those warm coats, unpack your scarves, gloves and beanies, and double up on socks. Okay, we are not serious about the socks.
Weather forecasters have announced that the Gauteng province will experience cooler than usual temperatures starting this Saturday. They are predicting a low of 12 Degrees Celsius with a real-feel of about 11 degrees.
⚠️BREAKING: First COLD FRONT of 2018 to reach Gauteng on Saturday! Cooler weather expected over the weekend.
— Gauteng Weather (@tWeatherSA) March 14, 2018
We had a little brainstorm on how to prepare because we really are not ready for winter yet! These are the tips we came up with and they will apply from now until the start of summer in a few months.
- Onesies are appropriate outfit choices when at home.
- Make sure to have an available cuddle buddy, this can be your partner, your kids or your pets and if not… Tinder can help, if you are open to that sort of thing.
- Pull out your slow cooker or soup pot and get cooking. Soups made with beans, lentils and other legumes are super tasty and great for the pre-payday pocket.
- Assign a designated hot drinks maker or make a rotation of people who can make all the warm drinks.
- Make sure your pets have appropriate cover and warm spots to retreat to.
- Practice safe heat management, using heaters and other heating options are great but they need to be done responsibly.
- Do not use your hot water bottle, those things are dangerous if older than a few months. Find alternatives such as hot toddies and microwave bean bags.
- Unpack your winter bedding and wash it before the real cold season hits. That way it is fresh and ready.
- Get ready for all the complaints about the cold.
Apart from the fun wintery tips above, there are some important safety tips to remember too.
- Don’t leave candles unattended.
- Place a grid in front of your fire to avoid any fire sparks causing trouble.
- Make sure a room is well ventilated when using fire to avoid carbon monoxide inhalation.
- All heaters and heat sources should be switched off before going to sleep.
- Make sure heating appliances are approved by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS).
Joburg Emergency Services will be on high alert this weekend to assist anyone in need.
“We just want to urge residents, especially those in informal settlements, not to leave their candles or paraffin stoves unattended.” – Robert Mulaudzi, EMS
Here are some important emergency numbers to remember.
- 10177 on a Telkom landline or 112 on your cell phone.
- City of Johannesburg Emergency Call Centre on 011 375 5911.
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