A snow filled cold day in Zimbabwe

While I do not usually post the random stuff that shows up in my inbox all the time, a few pictures showed up today I think I should share. They show an area (allegedly Lower Gweru), which is, wait for it, covered in snow. This is a very unusual occurrence in Zimbabwe because our winters are usually cold and dry, not snowy.

There are more images of snow circulating around the internet as well one or two videos and they have started a bit of a debate in my circle of friends. Some people are saying that the images are doctored, some claim they are real, I on the other hand, am just sitting here thinking, what would be the long term effects of it starting to snow in a region where it never previously snowed. Will the local flora and fauna be able to adapt or would we lose a ton of species due to the change in local climate?

Plants and animals aside, how would normal Zimbabweans adjust? I imagine that the first bitter cold winter would have a number of causalities as people who are used to the warm climate (relatively speaking) are taken by surprise. People would have learn to go around in the warmest clothes they own or wearing everything they own, my mind is running away with me again. Let’s just leave it at its snowing.

#sigh, I just realized that I’m probably going to waste the whole of tonight researching this. If anyone has a theory on what the effects of such a change in weather on the long term would be, please do let me know, I am actually quite curious.