Morocco Shatters Heat Records as Temperatures Soar Past 50°C Amid Intense Heat Wave

The weather situation during this week (July 7-13) was characterized by a Chergui-type heat wave, which affected the majority of the country, and by the observation of new records of absolute maximum temperature at the national and local levels, indicates the Directorate General of Meteorology (DGM), in a press release, explaining that this scorching weather is due to the rise of a dry and hot air mass from the South causing a significant increase in temperatures and exceeding the monthly normal by 5 to 13 degrees, in particular on Friday, August 11 and Saturday, August 12, 2023.

Specifying that this Chergui was characterized this time by a sustained easterly wind from the great Sahara towards Morocco, the DGM notes that in overcoming the High and Anti-Atlas mountain ranges, the initially hot Saharan air has experienced an additional increase in heat due to what is called the Foehn effect. It will add that this significant increase in temperature has also been favorable to the lifting of dust in the air and the occurrence of thunderstorms on the reliefs of the High Atlas and the neighboring western regions (Marrakech and Agadir). It also notes that this event has made it possible to record new records of absolute maximum temperature at the national and local levels.

Result: the Agadir weather station recorded on Friday, August 11, 2023 at 1:33 p.m. a maximum temperature of 50.4°C considered as the new absolute national record, while the former absolute record was 49.9 degrees recorded in Smara on July 13, 2023. The DGM will point out that this recorded temperature exceeds 50 degrees in Morocco for the first time. As for the Agadir Ait Melloul weather station, the 50°C mark was also crossed on the same day with 50.2°C considered as the new absolute record instead of 49.5°C recorded at this station in July 2020. As for the Tan Tan weather station, it recorded on 11/08/2023 a value of 48.2°C considered as the new absolute record instead of 47.6°C recorded in August 2017.

In Tiznit, an absolute monthly record was broken on Friday with a value of 48.3°C, instead of 47°C recorded in August 2010. Similarly, values close to the absolute monthly records at the level of Taroudant (48.3°C) and at the level of Guelmim (47.4°C) were recorded. New heat records will be broken in the coming days. For the days to come, it is expected that the weather will remain hot from Monday to Friday on the interior plains North and Center, the South and the Southeast of the country with however a slight drop in temperatures on the North of the country on Monday, August 14 and Tuesday, August 15, 2023, warns the DGM.