Last updated on August 29th, 2024 at 04:55 am
According to Morocco’s Health Ministry on Thursday, the severe heatwave has killed at least 21 people in the central city of Beni Mellal within a 24-hour period. The North African nation has reeled under extreme temperatures reaching high as 48 degrees Celsius in some regions.
Health Effects and Vulnerable Populations
The regional health directorate clarified that the great majority of the fatalities included elderly people and those with chronic ailments whose cases deteriorated due to the severe temperature. The meteorology department also put into consideration the fact that the heat wave affected much of the country from Monday towards Wednesday.
Prolonged Drought and Agricultural Threats
Morocco is dealing with a consecutive sixth year of drought and record heat-the month of January was the hottest since 1940. Growing temperatures and drought have lowered reservoir levels considerably, thus threatening the country’s major agricultural sector. Water Minister Nizar Baraka said in a statement water evaporation reached 1.5 million cubic meters daily at the end of June.
Record Temperatures and Climate Change
The highest temperature ever recorded in Morocco was 50.4 degrees Celsius last August in Agadir. Scientists link climate change to more intense extreme events, like heatwaves, which are becoming longer and stronger.