A new national report has stated that 2024 will be a record year for temperature rise and drought in Morocco.
The General Directorate of Meteorology presented the “Climate Status in Morocco for 2024” report during an official meeting in Rabat, attended by Minister of Equipment and Water Nizar Baraka. The report serves as an important scientific reference that provides a detailed analysis of the evolution of climate indicators in the Kingdom and extreme weather phenomena that had socio-economic impacts over the past year.
Nizar Baraka emphasized that the report represents a strategic tool for directing economic and social policies and supporting sustainable spatial planning. He stressed the importance of integrating climate information into decision-making processes, both in the public and private sectors. The minister considered this collaborative effort a call to action in order to address the growing climate challenges, through investment in advanced technologies such as satellite monitoring and artificial intelligence to improve predictive models.
The report revealed that 2024 is expected to be the hottest year on record for the country, with an average temperature deviation of +1.49 degrees Celsius compared to the reference average for the period 1991-2020, aligning with global temperature increases. Morocco experienced exceptional heatwaves, including a recorded temperature of 47.7 degrees Celsius in Beni Melal and 47.6 degrees Celsius in Marrakech in July, despite the fact that the summer of 2024 was less severe than the previous year.
On another note, the year recorded an average national rainfall deficit of around 24.8%, reflecting the continuation of the drought phenomenon for the sixth consecutive year. The report indicated that some regions experienced localized heavy rains in September that resulted in floods and human losses, along with the temporary re-emergence of Lake Iriki after fifty years of drought.
The hydrological year of 2023-2024 was described as the driest since the 1960s, with a rainfall deficit of 46.6%. The lack of snowfall, high temperatures, and a reduced frequency of rainfall have exacerbated the water drought situation to unprecedented levels.
Through this report, the General Directorate of Meteorology renewed its commitment to providing reliable climate data to serve the most vulnerable sectors and to support national planning efforts to adapt to climate change.
