GALE force winds were the order of the day along the Port Elizabeth coast on Tuesday and Monday yielded some record temperatures over the interior, with many places recording temperatures well over 40°C.
The places which have recorded temperatures more than 40°C include Patensie, Uitenhage, Graaf Reinet, Cradock, Dohne, Addo, Fort Beaufort and Middleton.
Garth Sampson from the South African Weather Service branch in the Eastern Cape said record temperatures for the month of October were measured at Addo, Fort Beaufort and Middleton.
.At Addo the maximum was 44.5 °C (29 October 2018) with the all-time record 46.6 °C (1 February 2016) and the October record 43.0 °C (30 October 2017).
.At Fort Beaufort the maximum was 43.6 °C (29 October 2018) with the all-time record 44.5 °C (12 January 2001) and the October record was 40.2 °C (9 October 2018) which means the record was broken for second time in one month.
At Middleton (Henry’s Flats) the maximum was 42.6 °C (29 October 2018) with the all-time record 43.8 °C (4 December 2004) and the October record was 40.1 °C (28 October 2015).
“The maximum wind gust on Tuesday at Port Elizabeth was 29.0 m/s (104 km/h) at 10:02. At Shark Rock Pier the wind gusted up to 29.3 m/s (105 km/h) at 08:30,” said Sampson.
The record gust for Port Elizabeth is 139km/h which occurred in August 1991.
– HEILIE COMRINCK
