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- Extremely high temperatures are expected in the Western and Northern Cape as of Friday.
- The SA Weather Service has warned of extremely high fire danger conditions in the two provinces.
- Residents have been warned of uncomfortable and humid conditions expected in places over the Western Cape and parts of the Northern Cape.
It's a scorcher in most parts of the Western Cape and Northern Cape, with the South African Weather Service (SAWS) warning residents of extremely uncomfortable hot weather and dangerous fire conditions.
In its advisory, the SAWS warned of extremely high fire conditions that are expected over the central and western parts of the Western Cape as well as the western interior of the Northern Cape.
"Extremely hot conditions with a maximum temperature of 40 degrees are expected over the West Coast District in the Western Cape. Uncomfortable hot and humid conditions are expected in places over the Western Cape and parts of Namakwa District in the Northern Cape," it said.
There is a high risk of fires in the Western Cape.
The City of Cape Town's disaster risk management spokesperson, Charlotte Powell, said on Friday:
SANParks said in the first 18 days of January, Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) witnessed a notable increase in fire incidents, with a total of 22 fires.
"A concerning pattern has emerged with the majority of recent fires occurring in the southern section of the TMNP, namely in the Kalk Bay, Ocean View and Redhill areas, as well as in the north of the park, in the Signal Hill and Pipe Track areas," SANParks said in a statement.
"Fires in these areas can pose a significant risk to communities living adjacent to the park, particularly with the hot temperatures and strong wind conditions currently being experienced."
It added that the cause of most fires has been attributed to deliberate malicious intent, which is a concerning trend.
"Following investigations into the fires by Environmental Wildfire Services, it is suspected that the three major fires were started with malicious intent," it said.
READ | Firefighters battle Cape Town blaze amid scorching weather conditions
According to SANParks, the Kalk Bay Fire, which burnt on Wednesday above Boyes Drive, was started maliciously.
The fire burnt approximately 73 hectares of veld and was contained at 21:45 with the collaborative efforts of more than 115 firefighters, management staff, three Huey Helicopters and a spotter plane.
Firefighters are still busy dealing with flare-ups from hotspots in the area.
Another malicious fire was started in Slangkop, Ocean View. The fire began burning at approximately 17:15 on Thursday.
SANParks said preliminary reports suggest the use of dry-cut alien vegetation, potentially ignited with a cigarette lighter.
SANParks also found that the Pinehaven fire was also started with malicious intent.
This fire started between Pinehaven and Da Gama and spread towards Scarborough at approximately 23:30 on Thursday evening.
"Current indicators strongly suggest that the Pinehaven fire was ignited with malicious intent. Further investigation is underway," it said.
MEC for Local Government Anton Bredell said the hot weather was of concern as it adds to the risk of wildfires.
