Malawi will not experience heat waves-Experts

Malawi’s department of climate change and meteorological service has refuted social media reports that Malawi will experience a heat wave from 10th to 17th October this year.

Malawi experiences very hot conditions in the month of October which is normal as the heat is required to initiate the onset of rains which starts late November.

According to a statement signed by spokesperson for the department Elina Kululanga, temperature forecasts for 10-17 October indicate that shire valley is expected to record between 38-42 degrees Celsius.

The department also says that for temperatures to reach the category of a heat wave, they need to attain a certain threshold and persist for more than one week or two.

“Though temperature forecasts are indicating a peak for the Shire valley and Lakeshore areas, this peak will be there for the next three days, thereafter a slight drop is expected,” reads part of the statement.

The department added that it cannot classify the expected peak in the country’s temperatures for the next seven days as a heat wave but it warned people to take care.

“People need to take caution with such temperatures as may trigger what we call natural bushfires,” says Kululanga in statement.

Ngabu in Chikwawa once recorded temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius in October 1994.