Latest news with #GeneralDirectorateofMeteorology
Morocco World
15-07-2025
- Climate
- Morocco World
New Heatwave to Hit Moroccan Provinces with 40-47°C Temperatures
Rabat – A new alert from the General Directorate of Meteorology expects a heatwa ve to continue until Friday across several provinces in Morocco. The weather office said temperatures will range between 40 and 47 degrees Celsius in several provinces. Notably, provinces like Errachidia, Zagora, Taroudant, Tata, Assa-Zag, Es-Semara, Oued Eddahab, and Aousserd will experience temperatures between 44 and 47 degrees from Tuesday to Friday. Temperatures ranging between 40 and 44 degrees will concern provinces like Beni Mellal, Fquih Ben Salah, Meknes, Khenifra, Fez, Moulay Yaacoub, Taounate, and Taza. Other provinces like Ouezzane, Guelmi, Agadir-Ida-Ou-Tanane, Inzegane Ait Melloul, Sidi Kacenm, Sidi Slimane, Benslimane, Khourbag, Settat, and Chichaoua will also be concerned with the same weather, alongside El Kelkaa Sragna, Essaouira, Marrakech, Rehamna, Khemisset, Sidi Bennour, and Youssoufia. Meanwhile, heavy thunderstorms between 15 and 30 millimeters are expected to hit Assa Zag, Es-Semara, Guelmim, and Tan-Tan on Tuesday afternoon and will continue until 10 p.m.. The weather alert also forecasts hail and strong wind gusts in these regions. Tags: heatwaveHeatwave across Morocco
Morocco World
13-07-2025
- Climate
- Morocco World
Heatwave Sweeps Across Morocco with Extreme Temperatures Forecast
Morocco is set to endure another wave of intense heat this week, with temperatures rising to dangerous levels in many parts of the country. The General Directorate of Meteorology (DGM) announced that the heatwave will stretch from Tuesday to Friday, placing several southern and central provinces under an orange alert. In the most affected areas, Errachidia, Zagora, Taroudant, Tata, Assa-Zag, Es-Semara, Oued Eddahab, and Aousserd, the thermometer is expected to hit between 44 and 47 degrees Celsius. For many residents, this level of heat makes daily routines nearly impossible. Families seek shade, farmers delay work, and entire neighborhoods appear still during the hottest hours of the day. Meanwhile, temperatures between 40 and 44 degrees are expected across a wider belt of the country, including parts of Beni Mellal, Fez, Marrakech, Agadir, Meknes, and Settat. This type of heat, which once seemed exceptional, has become more frequent over recent summers, raising concerns about climate patterns and water scarcity. The DGM has urged people in affected areas to drink plenty of water, avoid direct sun exposure, and remain indoors during peak afternoon hours. The warning comes as Morocco, like much of North Africa, faces increasingly harsh weather conditions that are putting pressure on daily life and natural resources. As the heatwave sets in, many are left wondering whether this is just another summer spike, or a sign of deeper changes already taking root. Tags: HeatheatwaveMoroccoMorocco heatTemperatureweather alert
Int'l Business Times
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Int'l Business Times
As Heatwaves Intensify, Morocco Ups Effort To Warn Residents
Lhoussaine Youabd knows nearly all the languages spoken in Morocco, a useful skill in his role warning the population of growing climate-related risks in the country braving increasingly common heatwaves. "Every time a weather alert is issued, I go on the media to warn Moroccans," Youabd, 52, a meteorological engineer at the national weather service, told AFP. This has been his mission for the past decade, going on TV and radio stations to get the message across to as many Moroccans as possible, particularly in remote rural areas. Youabd said villagers are "happy that we speak their language" -- dialects of colloquial Arabic or those used by the Amazigh -- when issuing updates, warnings and recommendations that could be life-saving. The General Directorate of Meteorology (DGM) has recently declared 2024 Morocco's hottest year on record while registering an average rainfall deficit of -24.7 percent, on the North African country's seventh straight year of drought. In late June this year, as a deadly heatwave affected large areas of southern Europe -- across the Mediterranean from Morocco -- the DGM said several cities broke their temperature records for that month. Displaying a weather forecast map mostly shaded in intense red, Meriem Alaouri, the interim head of the national weather service in Casablanca, said that the upcoming summer months are expected to be even hotter than usual. Scientists say that recurring heatwaves are a clear marker of global warming and that they are set to become more frequent, longer and more intense. Fuelled by human-driven climate change, 2024 was the warmest year on record globally -- and 2025 is projected to rank among the top three. When extreme weather events hit, like heatwaves, storms or floods, Moroccan authorities issue colour-coded warning bulletins that are transmitted by the civil defence and media outlets. Youabd said that in recent years, text messages are also used to alert local officials across the country, who can then notify residents in their area. The DGM has also expanded its social media presence, using networks like Facebook and LinkedIn to get the message across, and a "Smart Alert" that would land directly in Moroccans' mobile phones is currently being developed, he said. Hicham Fenniri, director of the International Water Research Institute at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, said it was important to ensure local, regional and national leaders and decision-makers are well informed about climate risks. In remote areas, connecting residents to the electricity grid is crucial to make sure they can "access information" and install air conditioning systems, he said. Traditional houses "but remade using clean science and technology" can help reduce some effects of the intense heat, along with ensuring access to potable water to mitigate dehydration risks. In 2024, authorities said that 5.4 percent of Moroccans living in rural areas did not have access to electricity, and 20.4 percent had no reliable source of clean water. Ben Achir Chekroun, a 66-year-old pensioner from Harhoura, south of the capital Rabat, said that the weather alerts were easy to follow. "We get the information either from the radio, on online media and in newspapers," he told AFP. Loubna Rouhi, head physician at the local medical centre in Harhoura, said that in the scorching heat, it was recommended to stay in the shade and avoid going outside during the hottest hours, between 10 am and 4 pm, as well as wearing light clothes and staying hydrated. The 48-year-old doctor said that she has used health ministry notices to help inform the population about the risks of extreme heat. One recent campaign launched by the ministry aims to warn against scorpions and snakes, which are far more active in the heat. Mohammed Esmaili, a senior health ministry official, said that a specialised medical kit has "helped significantly reduce mortality" linked to scorpion or snake bites, from 7.2 percent of cases in 2013 down to 1.2 percent. Scientists say that recurring heatwaves are a clear marker of global warming and that they are set to become more frequent, longer and more intense AFP
Morocco World
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Morocco World
Temperatures to Soar Above 40°C in Southern and Southeastern Morocco
Rabat – Morocco is forecasted to experience a mix of stable coastal weather and intense inland heat this week, according to the General Directorate of Meteorology. While cooler, foggy mornings are expected along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts due to the influence of the Azores High, inland and southeastern regions will face soaring temperatures, scattered thunderstorms, and dusty winds under the effect of the Saharan Heat Low. Temperatures are expected to reach between 37°C and 43°C, especially in the southeast and far southern parts of Morocco, particularly on Monday and Tuesday. While the high-pressure system will keep the coasts calm, it will also allow hot and unstable air to move toward the mountains. This could lead to the formation of unstable cumulonimbus clouds, with scattered thunderstorms likely in the afternoons and evenings over the High and Middle Atlas mountains, the Rif region, and the southern part of eastern Morocco. Strong winds may also blow in the southeast and desert areas, raising dust. On Monday, temperatures will range from 37°C to 43°C in the southeast and far south, 23°C to 29°C in the Atlas, Rif, and along the coasts, and 30°C to 36°C in other regions. Hot weather will continue on Tuesday in Tadla, Rehamna, the east, the southeast, and the eastern southern provinces. Temperatures will rise slightly in the southeast and inland plains, with a noticeable increase in the southern provinces. The weather will remain hot to very hot in the southeast, eastern southern provinces, the east, southern Rif, inland plains, and western Atlas on Wednesday. Finally, a rise in temperatures is expected next Monday, as the Saharan Heat Low becomes stronger.
Ya Biladi
05-07-2025
- Climate
- Ya Biladi
Heatwave and sandstorms forecasted for southern Morocco this weekend
Warm weather accompanied by Chergui winds and locally strong gusts with sandstorms is expected this Saturday and Sunday across several provinces in Morocco, according to the General Directorate of Meteorology (DGM). In an orange-level alert bulletin, the DGM forecasts temperatures ranging between 43°C and 46°C on Saturday in the provinces of Tata, Zagora, Assa-Zag, Es-Smara, Boujdour, Oued Ed-Dahab, and Aousserd. Additionally, strong wind gusts of 70 to 80 km/h, along with sandstorms, are expected from 6 a.m. Saturday through 6 a.m. Sunday in the provinces of Boujdour, Oued Ed-Dahab, and Aousserd.
