Joburg Emergency Services on high alert as cold front hits city – SABC News – Breaking news, special reports, world, business, sport coverage of all South African current events. Africa's news leader.

The Johannesburg Emergency Services says it’s on high alert as a cold front hits the city.

The South African Weather Service has issued a severe warning for disruptive snowfall over the Drakensberg and northern parts of the Eastern Cape.

Snow is also a possibility in Johannesburg and other parts of Gauteng as the cold front intensifies.

Freezing conditions force people to rely on alternative heating methods, utilising wood fires and braziers indoors, with the danger of fatal amounts of toxic gas and runaway fires.

Johannesburg EMS spokesperson Kagiso Phasha says, “I can confirm that, as the City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services, we are closely monitoring the weather information and updates from the South African Weather Service. So we remain on high alert together with our specialized teams, which are your urban search and rescue teams. We are prepared to respond to any emergency that might occur as a result of this cold weather and possible, I repeat, possible icy or snowy conditions.”