Morocco Breaks Heat Record

Morocco's meteorological agency said Sunday that temperatures there reached 50 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit) for the first time in recorded history under an intense heatwave.

According to the General Directorate of Meteorology, the weather station in the southern seaside city of Agadir set a new national record on Friday with a temperature of 50.4C.

Over the course of the summer, Morocco has seen a number of heatwaves with soaring temperatures.

The weather service reports that the previous record-breaking temperature, 49.9C, was set on July 13 at Smara, Western Sahara.

The meterological authority stated in a statement that "this heatwave is due to the influx of dry and hot air from the south, causing a significant rise in temperatures, surpassing the monthly average by five to 13 degrees."

The warmth has recently triggered flames in northern Morocco near Tangier and farther east in Taza province, destroying forests but causing no injuries.

According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service of the European Union, July was the hottest month ever observed on Earth. The prior record from July 2019 was exceeded by 0.33C.

Morocco saw its fourth warmest July since 1961 last month.

According to weather predictions, northern North Africa will experience a modest dip in temperature during the next several days.