Morocco’s meteorological service reported Sunday that temperatures there reached 50 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit) for the first time in recorded history under an intense heatwave.
According to the General Directorate of Meteorology, the weather station in the southern seaside city of Agadir set a new national record on Friday with a temperature of 50.4C.
Over the course of the summer, Morocco has seen a number of heatwaves with soaring temperatures.
The weather service reports that the previous record-breaking temperature, 49.9C, was set on July 13 in Smara, Western Sahara.
“This heatwave is due to the influx of dry and hot air from the south, causing a significant rise in temperatures, surpassing the monthly average by five to 13 degrees,” the meterological authority said in a statement.
According to AFP journalists, the heatwave has recently triggered flames in northern Morocco near Tangier and further east in Taza province, damaging forests but causing no injuries.
According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service of the European Union, July was the hottest month ever observed on Earth. The prior record from July 2019 was surpassed by 0.33C.
Morocco saw its fourth warmest July since 1961 last month.
According to weather predictions, northern North Africa will experience a modest drop in temperature during the next few days.
