Rabat – In 2020, Morocco experienced the hottest year recorded in the country’s history.
Temperatures in Morocco are exceeding faster than the global average of 1.1%, according to Meriem Alaour of the General Directorate of Meteorology (DGM).
“The studies carried out by the DGM, on the climatic trends observed recently, reveal increasing trends in hot thermal phenomena and decreasing trends in cold phenomena during the day and at night in all regions of Morocco,” Alaouri explains to the Moroccan radio station RIM Radio.
“2020 was the hottest year ever recorded in the history of Morocco with an average temperature which exceeded the normal climatic average (1.4 C°) for the period 1981-2010,” she added.
This year, heat waves have become more frequent in Morocco. Moroccan cities have been experiencing record breaking temperatures, with Sidi Slimane, a small city in the northwestern centre of Morocco, recording 49.6 degrees Celsius, which is a half-degree higher than the previous record of 49 degrees Celsius recorded on July 23, 1995.
Alaouri explained that as the Chergui wind brings hot and dry air from the Great Sahara, dry air has caused temperatures to rise rapidly, while humidity has decreased, which has contributed to wildfires spreading across the region.
Most recently, the DGM announced another heatwave sweeping through Morocco, as temperatures will increase significantly in the North African country starting August 12. It is expected that it will affect most of the country, especially the Souss Massa region, Morocco’s southern provinces, the plains of Tadla, Al-Haouz, Rehamna, Chiadma, Tensift, the phosphate-Oulmes plateaus, the Saiss, and Gharb.
On Tuesday, August 17, temperatures are expected to exceed Morocco’s monthly average by 5 to 10 degrees Celsius.
