Pay no attention to weather warning hoax

Residents of Richards Bay, Empangeni and up to Pongola should not pay attention to a severe weather warning doing the rounds on social media.

A ‘forwarded many times’ WhatsApp message warning residents on KZN’s north coast that the SA Weather Service (SAWS) has issued a ‘level 6 orange warning with severe thunderstorms accompanied by hail’, is reportedly a hoax.

Whether an old message or simply false is unknown, but the actual SAWS forecast for today (Wednesday) is showers for the northeastern parts of the country, ‘otherwise fine conditions are expected’.

In fact, following severe winds and heavy rain on Monday and Tuesday, today’s outlook for much of the country is ‘partly cloudy, otherwise fine conditions’.

People are reminded to not share forwarded messages on social media platforms without first verifying the information, as misinformation can cause much distress, especially where the information potentially places lives and safety at risk.

To verify potentially false information, search for the legitimate website or social media pages for the authoritative body on said information.

Africa Check, a fact-checking NPO set up in 2012 to promote accuracy in public debate and the media, reported to have found no evidence that the warning is true.

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