More than 20 people die in Moroccan heatwave

As Morocco experiences an intense heatwave, the health ministry says more than 20 people have died over the past 24 hours in the central city of Beni Mellal.

Meteorologist says temperatures reached as high as 48 degrees Celsius in some areas of the country between Monday to Wednesday.

Officials say most of those who passed away were either elderly or suffering from chronic illnesses, with the heat contributing to the deterioration of their health.

They have urged citizen to drink lots of water to stay hydrated and to avoid going outside at times of extreme heat.

In Beni Mellal, which is more than 200 kilometres southeast of Casablanca, temperatures were still as high as 43 degrees Celsius on Thursday.

But meteorologist said the heat across the country is expected to ease over the coming days. In the tourism hotspot of Marrakesh, they are expected to drop by 10 degrees on Sunday.

Morocco is experiencing its sixth straight year of drought and record heat this past winter, with January the hottest since 1940.

The rising temperatures and prolonged drought have lowered reservoir levels, threatening the vital farming sector.

The  European Union's Copernicus Earth observation programme said that globally, this past Monday was the hottest day recorded since measurements began.

It has previously predicted that daily records would be broken this summer in the northern hemisphere as a result of climate change.