Claims Of Extreme Heat Wave In Southern Africa Dismissed As Misleading
A viral social media post claiming that a severe heat wave is set to hit Southern Africa starting Thursday, December 5, has been debunked as false.
The post warned that “starting from today, a brutal heat wave will sweep Southern Africa especially Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi with up to 40/45C for 10+ days and also very hot nights, potentially the worst heat wave in SE Africa history, many records will be crushed. Stay hydrated”.
However, ZIMCAST has dismissed the post as misleading, saying the temperatures forecasted for today and tomorrow do not exceed those experienced in previous years. ZIMCAST said:
A viral post on social media claims that parts of SE Africa (including Zimbabwe), will experience the worst heatwave in history.
This is NOT true, as the temperatures expected today and tomorrow are not above temperatures experienced before.
While the dry spell will be coupled with high temperatures, the hottest days will be today (Thursday) and Friday, with some showers expected for parts of the SW on Saturday and parts of the NE and North on Sunday. So not going to see +10 days of extreme heat!
A heat wave is a prolonged period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity.
In a weather update released on Wednesday afternoon, the Meteorological Services Department of Zimbabwe stated that the ongoing dry spell is expected to persist, resulting in hot conditions across much of the country.
The department indicated that Thursday will be sunny and hot throughout Zimbabwe, while Friday is forecasted to remain mostly sunny and hot, with brief clouds anticipated in Matabeleland South and Bulawayo Province.
Meanwhile, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has reported that 2024 is on track to be the hottest year on record, with the global average temperature for January to September rising approximately 1.54°C above pre-industrial levels.
Vox weather meteorologist Annette Botha told The Citizen, a South African newspaper, that the high temperatures currently experienced in the neighbouring country can be attributed to a weak La Niña phenomenon. She said:
These higher temperatures are supported by the forecast of ENSO [El Niño–Southern Oscillation]-neutral conditions that may move towards a weak La Niña, which often leads to warmer temperatures.
It is important to note that a weak La Niña does not necessarily bring the typical colder and wetter conditions usually associated with it.
Instead, it could cause drier and warmer conditions in certain regions, including South Africa. Less cloud cover, increased solar radiation and the general warming trend of the earth play a role in the observation of higher temperatures, even during weak La Niña events.
Botha said that climate change exacerbates these patterns, elevating the likelihood of extreme temperatures irrespective of the ENSO phase.
Meanwhile, Botha explained that heatwave conditions occur when a particular town’s maximum temperature is 5°C or more above the average maximum temperature of the hottest month for that location.
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