Weather: Cold warning was a hoax, here's the truth
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued an urgent correction regarding a cold warning hoax. A widely circulated message warning about an alleged 27-hour extreme cold period supposedly caused by an 'Aphelion phenomenon.' Weather authorities are calling on the public to disregard and stop sharing this false information.
The debunked hoax message claims that South Africans should prepare for a dramatic temperature. According to the message, the drop was set to begin at 5:00 AM. This drop would have caused the Earth's increased distance from the Sun to create dangerously cold conditions. SAWS has categorically dismissed these claims as both scientifically inaccurate and potentially harmful.
While Aphelion, the point when Earth reaches its maximum distance from the Sun is indeed expected on July 3rd at 15:54, SAWS clarifies that this astronomical event does not cause significant temperature fluctuations. Weather experts emphasise that Earth's seasons are determined by the planet's axial tilt, not its orbital distance from the Sun.
Contrary to the hoax's warnings of extreme cold, SAWS's seasonal climate outlook released on May 2nd, 2025, actually forecasts 'higher than normal minimum and maximum temperatures' for most regions of South Africa this winter. Only the southern coastal areas might experience 'cooler than normal temperatures' due to regular winter weather patterns such as cold fronts.
SAWS also notes that the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has returned to a neutral state, meaning this climate pattern is unlikely to have a significant impact on South Africa's winter weather conditions this year.
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