Claim: Tropical Cyclone Freddy is currently about 1000 kms before Madagascar and is expected to make landfall in Mozambique around Friday 24th then will proceed to Zimbabwe between Friday and Saturday 25th.
Source: WhatsApp
Verdict: False
A message that has been forwarded many times seems to suggest that Cyclone Freddy will be making landfall – again – in Mozambique today (Friday the 24th) and in Zimbabwe tomorrow. The message does not mention the month of March but just the dates Friday 24th and Saturday the 25th.
This message is likely to cause stress to many people considering the damage that the cyclone caused in Southern Africa, the two times it made landfall.
Credit: AP
However, the message is incorrect as Cyclone Freddy will not be making a third landfall in Mozambique – or anywhere, as the Cyclone has been declared over.
The message has a zoom.earth link which seems to seek to suggest that zoom.earth is the originator of the message. However, when one clicks on the link to the zoom.earth site, it takes one to a map that clearly shows no sign of a cyclone over Southern Africa or that part of the Indian Ocean, and no rains forecast.
Source: Zoom.earth
A check of other cyclone and typhoon tracking centres also confirmed that there was no sign of a cyclone over these areas.
Source: Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Cyclone Freddy
Cyclone Freddy was one of the longest to hit Southern Africa – and the world-, causing much damage in Madagascar, Mozambique and Malawi. It is believed to have broken a number of records.
Freddy developed off the coast of Australia, crossed the entire South Indian Ocean and travelled more than 8,000 km (4,970 miles) to make landfall in Madagascar and Mozambique in late February.
It then looped back and hit the coast of Mozambique again two weeks later, before moving inland to Malawi.
Freddy was finally declared over by the French Meteorological service on 14 March.
It’s zonal track of the southern Indian Ocean from east to west, is very rare with the last one recorded in 2000.
How to spot false information
- Be wary of headlines seeking to induce strong emotional responses – fear or anger.
- Follow the link – do not just read the message, if there is a link follow it to get to the source of the story.
- Check for any inconsistencies – for example, this message says the cyclone is 1000 kms off the coast of Madagascar, then says it will make landfall in Mozambique tomorrow.
- Check other sources – do other trusted and mainstream sources carry the same news.
Conclusion
The message that has been forwarded many times on WhatsApp claiming that, ‘Tropical Cyclone Freddy is currently about 1000 kms before Madagascar and is expected to make landfall in Mozambique around Friday 24th then will proceed to Zimbabwe between Friday and Saturday 25th’ has been rated as false. The cyclone has been declared over and will not be making another landfall, anywhere.
