Report: Morocco’s temperature hits 'dark red zone'

New dataset released by the University of Reading in the UK, containing temperature data for various countries including African nations, reveals that Morocco’s temperature has reached the critical dark red zone.

This marks a new phase, as Morocco’s temperatures were previously stable within the light blue, dark blue, and orange ranges.

The dataset presented by the University Reading provides timelines for each country, illustrating how temperatures have increased over time. The Kingdom was among the countries that have been subjected to scientific and statistical scrutiny regarding the evolution of temperature rise.

According to the same statistics, the rise in temperature in the country officially began in the last two decades of the previous century, having previously been at normal and non-alarming levels, while providing simultaneously a visual overview of temperatures from 1874 to 2023.

Data compiled by climate specialist Edward Hawkins revealed that there were periods of temperature rise before the 1970s; however, these increases remained within light orange levels.

The same source highlighted that the temperature increase since the beginning of the current millennium has ranged from 0.5 to 2 degrees Celsius at most, elevating the risk level to dark red.

This aligns with the warnings issued by numerous national and international organizations regarding the growing heatwave and the onset of an unprecedented climate phase.

“These findings indeed confirm the extent of climate change both nationally and globally,” commented Fouad Zahrani, an expert in environmental sciences and sustainable development, stressing that Morocco has been in a concerning climatic phase for some time now.

In a statement to Hespress Ar, the expert noted that “we are facing threats related to rising temperatures, which jeopardize our food and water security, increase migration rates, and concentrate population density in specific areas.”

Zahrani further stated that “the climate in Morocco is becoming increasingly harsh, coinciding with consecutive years of drought and surface dryness. This clearly demonstrates that climate change is tangible and is indeed a reality that international organizations and research centers have always warned about.”

“Contrary to the data, we must not reach a point where temperatures rise by two degrees Celsius every year,” he emphasized, explaining that “the normal rate is between 0.5 and 1 degree; however, we have observed a rise of two degrees in the past year, which highlights that we have indeed reached a stage of climate difficulty.”

The expert mentioned that “dry days are becoming more prevalent throughout the year, and we are seeing a decrease in the number of low-temperature or rainy days.”

He concluded that this effectively confirms that climate change is a real and undeniable fact, and it threatens the geographical stability of humans, both in Morocco and around the world.”