Under clear skies, temperatures had warmed from the upper 30s and low 40s at dawn into the 70s across the province by mid-afternoon.

The Western Cape has an exceptionally diverse topography, evident in the image from midday seen to the right.

Most of the province falls within the Cape Fold Belt, a range of sandstone folded mountains that rise from 3,000 to 7,500 feet above sea level.

The mountains, although modest in height by world standards, remain extremely majestic and dramatic to the eye.

This is due to numerous geological factors, including that the ranges usually have few or no foothills and that they rise directly from the valley floor.

The valleys between ranges are generally very fertile and contain alluvial loamy to clay soils.

The combination of a temperate climate and fertile soil has allowed this part of South Africa to develop into one of the world’s most productive wine-producing regions.

Western Cape is also diverse in climate, producing a lush landscape in the south and southwest to the arid shrub land of the Karoo district in the northeast.

Image: NASA's MODIS Rapid Response System