Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport has put out a travel advisory warning that bad weather could disrupt flights, with both arrivals and departures at risk of delay. The airport operator is asking passengers to confirm their flight status before setting off, either through the Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) mobile app or directly with their airline.

The warning isn't theoretical. At least one flight from Cape Town was reportedly forced to divert to Gaborone in Botswana on Monday afternoon, which shows how quickly conditions can knock a schedule off course — a diversion means hours added to a journey, plus the knock-on effects as aircraft and crews fall behind for the rest of the day.

OR Tambo is South Africa's busiest airport and the main hub for long-haul and regional connections, so disruption there ripples widely. If you're connecting through Johannesburg to a safari lodge, a coastal break or an international flight, a delay on the first leg can cost you the second. The practical advice: don't just show up. Check the app or your airline before leaving your hotel, and build buffer time into any tight connection.

Weather-related advisories at the airport tend to come in bursts — summer thunderstorms across the Gauteng highveld are the usual culprit, and they can develop fast in the afternoon. Travellers flying in the region over the coming days should keep an eye on updates, re-check the evening before a morning flight, and consider travel insurance that covers delay-related costs like extra hotel nights or missed transfers.

If you're already booked through OR Tambo, a few simple habits help. Sign up for your airline's delay notifications, keep essential medication and chargers in hand luggage rather than a checked bag, and know your rebooking options in case the queue at the service desk is hours long. And if your flight is diverted or cancelled mid-trip, contact the airline through its app first — it's often faster than waiting in an airport line.

We'll keep an eye on the story as the situation develops. Source: The South African Travel.