Morocco says 2024 was the hottest year with temperatures reaching 47.7 degrees

Morocco's meteorological agency announced Friday that 2024 was the hottest year ever recorded in the country, reflecting record temperatures globally.

In an annual report, the agency said it recorded an average temperature anomaly of +1.49 degrees Celsius last year compared to the 1991-2020 period.

"The year 2024 stands out as the hottest ever recorded in Morocco," she said, adding that every month of 2024, except June and September, had been warmer than the average for the 1991-2020 reference period.

According to the agency, several cities broke daily heat records last July, with 47.6 degrees Celsius in Marrakech and 47.7 degrees Celsius in Beni Mellal.

 According to the meteorological department, the kingdom is facing its seventh consecutive year of drought, with an average rainfall deficit of -24.7% in 2024.

The agency also noted "an increase in thermal anomalies, particularly during the fall and winter seasons."

Morocco's all-time heat record was set in August 2023, when temperatures reached 50.4 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) in Agadir.