In a statement, Saws said it is aware of a message being widely shared warning of a so-called “Storm Baron”, allegedly expected to affect Southern Africa from Saturday, January 10, and persist for several days. The weather service said the information is untrue. “The South African Weather Service would like to categorically state that this information is false and should be regarded as a hoax,” Saws said.
The weather office stressed that there is currently no tropical cyclone activity over the south-western Indian Ocean and that no officially recognised storm named Baron exists. “There is currently no tropical cyclone activity over the south-western Indian Ocean, and no officially recognised storm named Baron,” the statement read. However, Saws confirmed that an intense low-pressure system is expected to develop over southern Mozambique in the coming days and will be closely monitored.
“This system is forecast to move further south and is expected to bring widespread showers and thunderstorms to the north-eastern parts of the country from early morning Saturday, January 10, persisting until Thursday, January 15,” Saws said. The areas most likely to be affected include the escarpment and lowveld regions of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, as well as north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal. SAWS warned that there is still significant uncertainty regarding the exact positioning of the system’s core, which will determine where the heaviest rainfall occurs. “At present, there remains significant uncertainty regarding the exact placement of the core of the system, which directly influences where the heaviest rainfall is expected,” Saws said.
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