The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has dismissed as false a message circulating on social media warning of a storm allegedly named “Storm Baron”, saying the alert is a hoax.
In a statement, SAWS said there is no tropical cyclone activity over the south-western Indian Ocean and no officially recognised storm with that name.
“There is currently no tropical cyclone activity over the south-western Indian Ocean, and no officially recognised storm named Baron,” the weather service said.
Low-pressure system expected
While rejecting the storm warning, SAWS confirmed that an intense low-pressure system is expected to develop over southern Mozambique in the coming days.
The system is forecast to move southwards and could bring widespread showers and thunderstorms to parts of north-eastern South Africa from early Saturday morning, 10 January, with conditions potentially persisting until Thursday, 15 January.
Areas most likely to be affected include the escarpment and lowveld regions of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, as well as north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal.
Rainfall uncertainty
SAWS cautioned that there is significant uncertainty regarding the exact path of the system, which will determine where the heaviest rainfall occurs.
“While several numerical weather prediction models place the system’s core to the east of South Africa, over southern Mozambique, there are models that indicate it could track much closer to the country,” SAWS said.
If the system remains further east, lower rainfall totals are expected.
However, a closer track could result in very high rainfall, potentially reaching several hundred millimetres in some areas.
Monitoring the situation
SAWS said it is closely monitoring the situation and will issue regular updates as new information becomes available.
Members of the public have been advised to rely on official forecasts and warnings rather than unverified social media messages.
