The Middle East and North Africa recorded their hottest year on record in 2024, with temperatures rising at twice the global average in recent decades, according to a report by the United Nations weather agency.
Heat waves in the region are becoming longer and more intense, according to the first report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) dedicated to this area.
“Temperatures are rising at twice the global average, with intense heatwaves pushing society to its limits,” said Celeste Saulo, WMO Secretary-General.
In 2024, the average temperature was 1.08°C higher than the 1991-2020 average, according to the report, with a peak recorded in Algeria where the temperature exceeded the average of the last thirty years by 1.64°C.
Saulo warned that prolonged periods exceeding 50°C in several Arab countries were “too difficult to bear” for human health, ecosystems and economies.
Droughts, in a region that is home to 15 of the world’s most water-poor countries, have become more frequent and severe. The report notes a trend toward more and longer heat waves in North Africa since 1981.
Consecutively failed rainy seasons caused drought in Morocco, Algeria et in Tunisia, while intense rainfall led to flash flooding in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, the report said.
More than 300 people in the region lost their lives last year due to extreme weather events, mainly heatwaves and floods, while almost 3.8 million people were affected in total, according to WMO.
The report highlights the urgency of investing in water security, including through desalination and reuse of wastewater, as well as in warning systems to reduce risks from extreme weather events. Currently, around 60% of the region has such systems.
According to regional projections from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), included in the report, average temperature could increase by up to 5°C in the region by the end of the century if current emissions levels persist.
