FAKE NEWS: SA Weather Service debunks misleading 'Aphelion Phenomenon'
The Aphelion refers to the point in the Earth’s orbit where it is farthest from the sun. It will be on 3 July 2025 at around 4 pm.
702’s Bongani Bingwa speaks with Lehlohonolo Thobela, a Meteorologist and Weather Forecaster at the South African Weather Service (SAWS).
Listen below:
The SAWS is urging the public to ignore a fake weather alert currently circulating on social media.
The hoax message claims South Africa will experience extreme cold spells until August 2025 due to the ‘Aphelion phenomenon’.
RELATED: SAWS warns public against spreading misleading and false information on weather patterns
The Aphelion, the point in the Earth’s orbit where it is farthest from the sun, will occur on 3 July 2025 at around 4 pm.
It does not affect temperatures or determine the seasons.
“Seasons as well as temperatures are affected by the Earth’s axis tilt… The moment it starts to tilt, that’s when you have your seasons.”
– Lehlohonolo Thobela, Meteorologist - SAWS
“We have a lot of people who think they are forecasters and they definitely know the weather better than the professionals, so we just need to make sure we follow the South African Weather Service.”
– Lehlohonolo Thobela, Meteorologist - SAWS
The SAWS forecasts a mild winter with 'above normal temperatures'.
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the discussion.