Heatwave Leaves Moroccan Cities Sweltering In Record-Breaking Temperatures

Monthly temperature records have been broken across Morocco, sometimes topping seasonal norms by as much as 20 degrees Celsius, the national meteorological office said Sunday, as the North African kingdom was gripped by a heatwave.

"Our country has experienced, between Friday 27 and Saturday 28 of June, a 'chegui' type heatwave characterised by its intensity and geographical reach," the meteorological office (DGM) said in a report shared with AFP.

The heatwave, which has also struck across the Strait of Gibraltar in southern Europe, has affected numerous regions in Morocco.

According to the DGM, the most significant temperature anomalies have been on the Atlantic plains and interior plateaus. 

In the coastal city of Casablanca, the mercury reached 39.5C (103 Fahrenheit), breaching the previous record of 38.6C set in June 2011.

In Larache, 250 kilometres (150 miles) up the coast, a peak temperature of 43.8C was recorded, 0.9C above the previous June high, set in 2017.

And in central Morocco's Ben Guerir, the thermometers hit 46.4C, besting the two-year-old record by 1.1C. 

In total, more than 17 regions sweltered under temperatures above 40C, the DGM said, with Atlantic areas bearing the brunt.

"Coastal cities like Essaouira recorded temperatures 10C or 20C above their usual averages" for June, the DGM said.

Inland cities such as Marrakesh, Fez, Meknes and Beni Mellal experienced heat 8C to 15C above the norm, with Tangier in the far north at the bottom end of that scale.

The forecast for the days ahead indicates continuing heat in the interior of Morocco due to a so-called Saharan thermal depression, an intense dome of heat over the desert.

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