Climatic and environmental impacts of cold fronts over KwaZulu-Natal and the adjacent interior of southern Africa

Approximately 43 cold front events occur annually over KwaZulu-Natal (avera ge of 45 years' data). Despite this high incidence, the regional climatic a ssociations and environmental implications of southern African cold front e vents have not been examined in detail. To this end, a three-phase climate model associated with the passage of cold fronts over the province is prese nted. The effects of altitude and continentality on winter ambient air temp erature and lapse rates during the passage of cold fronts are the primary f ocus of the study. Some of the associated environmental implications are al so discussed. It was found that lapse rates were markedly different during the various cold front phases. Further, the effect of continentality and al titude had a significant influence on ambient air temperatures during such climatic phenomena. Cold fronts are important climatological controls on sm oke concentrations in urban environments and an understanding of contempora ry climatological patterns associated with such circulation systems over Kw aZulu-Natal may assist in modelling palaeoclimates.