Most Tunisian regions on high alert amid second extreme heatwave

Tunisia has been gripped by a second intense heatwave since Wednesday with temperatures soaring to 49 degrees Celsius across parts of the country.

The central city of Kairouan recorded 49.8C, close to the country’s national record of 50.3C in 2021.

The National Meteorological Institute placed most regions on high alert for two days as six cities ranked among the world’s 20 hottest locations.

Crowds have been flocking to beaches on the Mediterranean in a bid to find some relief with officials urging people to stay hydrated and avoid unnecessary outdoor activities during peak sun hours.

The extreme heat this summer has coincided with temporary power cuts and water scarcity across much of the country.

President Kais Saied, who has ruled with near-total power since 2021, on Thursday blamed “premeditated acts” for them, without saying who he believed to be behind them

He said the outages, which can last more than 10 hours in some areas, were "not simply temporary or isolated cases”.

Water cuts have been made worse by a shortage of bottled water, with supermarkets imposing quotas on purchases per person.

Much of Tunisia's water supply depends on electric pumps, which are disrupted during the power outages.

Recent demonstrations have called for the ousting of Saied with protesters demanding improvements in basic services and an end to rising living costs and restrictions on freedoms.

Since Saied dismissed government and suspended parliament in 2021, he has presided over increasing restrictions on independent media, civil society, and any dissenting voices.

Dozens of the president's critics have been prosecuted or jailed, including on terrorism-related charges and under a law he enacted in 2022 to prohibit "spreading false news".