Posts on Twitter and Facebook have shared various pictures of wet and slushy roads claiming the images capture the first snow ever to fall in Botswana. However, this is misleading; the images actually show the aftermath of a hailstorm, which is a common occurrence – and has previously sparked false claims – in Botswana, according to the country’s meteorological service.

A Facebook post published on April 16, 2022, and shared more than 7,000 times includes four photographs of ice-covered roads and overcast skies. One image features a signboard with the names of towns found in the southern African country of Botswana.

“Botswana is today experiencing snowfall for the first time ever.The snow was witnessed in the Central parts of the Country following a cold weather (sic),” read the post’s caption, adding that it was a “historic moment”.

A day later, a fifth and separate image of a snowy-looking landscape with cars backed up on a road was shared on social media.

“SNOW FALL IN SEMI DESERT BOTSWANA,” reads the tweet from April 17, 2022. “In a rare occurrence, people of Botswana experienced London weather as there were treated to snow fall during this period which normally is a hot season. Infact the United Nations has issued a warning that Climate Change needs urgent attention (sic).”

A reverse image search found the same picture published with a near-identical caption in a Zambia Facebook group called “The Speech Analyst” more than three years ago, on October 13, 2018.

The...

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