Twenty-one people have died in 24 hours in a central Moroccan city due to a new heat wave that is hitting the country, which is experiencing its sixth consecutive year of drought, the Moroccan Ministry of Health said on Thursday.
Morocco’s General Directorate of Meteorology (DGM) announced a strong heat wave between Monday and Wednesday in several localities, with temperatures reaching 48°C, especially in Beni Mellal, in central Morocco.
“TO Most deaths occurred among people with chronic diseases and the elderly.”The high temperatures contributed to the deterioration of his health, leading to his death,” Morocco’s regional health directorate said in a statement.
Morocco recorded record heat this winter, with the kingdom’s hottest January on record since 1940 (almost 37°C in some places), according to the DGM.
Rising temperatures threaten the agricultural sector, essential to the national economy, and water reserves in dams. Water evaporation reached “one and a half million cubic meters per day“said Moroccan Water Minister Nizar Baraka at the end of June.
The national record for maximum temperature was recorded in August 2023, in Agadir (south), with 50.4° Celsius.
Climate change is causing longer, stronger and more frequent extreme weather events, such as heat waves and floods.
Source: Observadora
