Morocco is facing its sixth consecutive year of drought and extreme temperatures. In Beni Mellal, a city about 200 km southeast of Casablanca, 21 people died within 24 hours due to the heat, as reported by AFP on Thursday, citing a statement from the Moroccan Ministry of Health.
On Wednesday, the region experienced temperatures of 48 degrees Celsius. Among the victims of the heatwave, 17 people died in hospitals, while four died outside medical facilities.
“Most of the deaths occurred in people with chronic diseases and the elderly, and high temperatures contributed to the deterioration of their health and led to their deaths,” the regional medical services stated.
On Thursday, the Moroccan Ministry of Health reported temperatures reaching 43 degrees Celsius in the Beni Mellal region. This marks the sixth year in a row that Morocco has been grappling with drought and extreme heat.
According to the European climate monitoring service Copernicus, Monday, July 22, was the warmest day on record worldwide, with the average air temperature on Earth’s surface reaching 17.16 degrees Celsius.