Large parts of north-eastern South Africa and neighbouring Mozambique have been hit by very heavy rain for several days. Over the weekend, places in South Africa recorded hundreds of millimetres of rain. For example, Graskop in Mpumalanga saw 113mm in 24 hours, and Phalaborwa recorded about 85mm. Rain is still falling across the area. The heavy rainfall is caused by a slow-moving low-pressure system. It brings in moisture repeatedly, causing intense rain showers. More heavy rain is expected this Friday and through the weekend. In Maputo, Mozambique's capital, daily rainfall could pass 200mm by Friday’s end. Western South Africa and north-western Eswatini may get over 100mm. The rain falls on already soaked ground due to an unusually wet December. Rivers have overflowed, leading to widespread floods. South Africa's weather service has raised flood warnings to the highest level. Roads have been washed away, infrastructure damaged, and many areas are hard to reach. Kruger National Park is closed because floodwaters forced staff and visitors to evacuate. Since October 2025, Limpopo and Mpumalanga have received about twice their usual yearly rainfall. This wet weather disrupts mango and lemon harvesting, threatening exports. Authorities warn of displaced wildlife, including crocodiles and hippos near homes. Emergency teams have rescued people trapped by rising rivers. Meanwhile, in North America, January continued the trend of warm temperatures seen in December. Temperatures have been 10-15°C warmer than normal in many US parts and eastern and western Canada. In Alberta, Canada, temperatures recently exceeded 15°C, more typical of late spring. Many locations broke January warmth records. Warm weather is expected to keep up across western North America. But the eastern half will see an arctic cold snap, with temperatures dropping well below usual for this time of year.