A severe heatwave has claimed the lives of at least 21 people within a day in the central Moroccan city of Beni Mellal, the health ministry revealed on Thursday.
According to AFP, in a representative image, a shepherd uses his mobile phone while sitting on parched ground at the al-Massira dam in Ouled Essi Masseoud village, roughly 140 kilometers (85 miles) south of Casablanca.
The meteorology department explained that the North African nation experienced extreme temperatures from Monday to Wednesday, with some regions hitting 48 degrees Celsius, 118 Fahrenheit.
In Beni Mellal, “the majority of deaths involved people suffering from chronic illnesses and the elderly, with high temperatures contributing to the deterioration of their health conditions,” the regional health directorate mentioned in a statement.
Morocco is enduring its sixth consecutive year of drought alongside unprecedented heat this winter.
January was recorded as the hottest month since 1940, with some areas experiencing temperatures nearing 37C, as reported by the meteorology department.
These rising temperatures and the ongoing drought, which has significantly depleted reservoir levels, pose a significant threat to the essential agricultural sector.
Water Minister Nizar Baraka reported in late June that water evaporation was reaching 1.5 million cubic meters per day.
The highest temperature ever recorded in Morocco was 50.4C, set last August in Agadir, located in the southern part of the country.
Experts have attributed the increase in prolonged, intense, and frequent extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, to climate change.
