SEE | September snow shuts busy Eastern Cape mountain pass

• "Disruptive" snow has fallen over the southern Drakensberg in the Eastern Cape.
• The R58 road is closed to traffic due to heavy snow.
• This after the SA Weather Service issued a Level 5 warning for snow. 

The Eastern Cape transport department has closed the busy Barkly Mountain Pass due to heavy snowfall along the R58 road between Elliot and Barkly East. 

This comes after the SA Weather Service (SAWS) issued a Level 5 warning that snowfall over high-lying areas would become "disruptive" over the southern Drakensberg mountain. 

The SAWS said a cut-off low over the central parts of the country resulted in showers and thundershowers in the east and snowfalls over southern Drakensberg.

READ | Snow turns parts of Eastern Cape into a winter wonderland

Eastern Cape transport department spokesperson Unathi Binqose said other mountain passes, including the Lootsberg on the N9 between Graaff-Reinet and Middelburg, and the Wapadsberg Pass along the R61 between Graaff-Reinet and Cradock, were open to traffic. 

"Driving conditions along the N6 between Komani and Jamestown at the Penhoek Pass are cold, wet and misty this morning; no snowfall or black ice at the moment. Reduce your speed, switch on your headlights and increase your following distance," he said.

The SA Weather Service said an upper-air trough and a high-pressure system ridging along the east coast were the dominant weather systems on Tuesday. 

READ | Snow shuts down major roads in Eastern Cape

Forecaster Ayabonga Tshungwana said the systems were expected to cause a significant drop in temperatures over the interior of the province with a good chance of showers and rain in the east, which are expected to clear up tomorrow afternoon when the system is expected to exit the country.  

"[From] Thursday until the weekend, we're not expecting much as the surface trough is expected to dominate over the interior of the country with a significant recovery in temperatures."

There has been some heavy snowing in the Eastern Cape.

Supplied Mountain Shadow Hotel

For Wednesday, moisture will continue to be fed in over the eastern parts of the province, resulting in isolated showers in the morning. 

On Thursday, fine and warm conditions are expected.

The office predicted that the cold front would pass south of the country on Friday and that the surface high-pressure was expected to ridge along the coast, resulting in light rain in places along the coast and adjacent interior. 

It said light morning rain could be expected along the south-east coast as the high ridges eastwards on Saturday. 

A deep surface trough will result in isolated showers and thundershowers over the eastern parts of province while a ridging high-pressure system will result in isolated showers along the coast and adjacent interior on Sunday. 

On Monday, a cold front is expected to pass south of the country with strong winds expected over the interior.