After nine days marked by an exceptional heat wave, Morocco is about to experience a slight respite. According to the General Directorate of Meteorology (DGM), temperatures should gradually decrease in several regions of the Kingdom thanks to the arrival of cooler Atlantic air currents, even if the heat will remain very marked in the interior of the country.
According to DGM forecasts, the heatwave will gradually recede in northern and central Morocco over the next few days. This trend should allow a gradual drop in temperatures, ending an episode during which peaks exceeded the seasonal normals by 5-13 °C in many regions.
However, this refreshment will not concern the entire territory. The regions of the South-East, the Oriental, the valley of the Moulouya and the southern provinces will continue to record particularly high temperatures. The maxima will still be able to reach between 41°C and 46°C in certain areas, while the coasts and reliefs of the Atlas will benefit from more lenient conditions, with temperatures between 25°C and 30°C.
Meteorologists also predict a return of some atmospheric instability at the beginning of next week, with a risk of localized thunderstorms on the reliefs of the Atlas, accompanied by a slight rise in temperatures in several regions.
This heat episode was caused by the rise of the Saharan thermal depression and the arrival of the chergui, a warm and dry wind coming from the Sahara. More than fourteen Moroccan cities exceeded 40 °C, while Smara recorded the highest temperature in the country with a peak of 47 °C.
Despite this particularly intense heat wave, the General Directorate of Meteorology points out that no absolute temperature record for the month of July has been broken so far. The authorities nevertheless invite the inhabitants of the most exposed regions to remain vigilant in the face of the hot weather that will still persist in several provinces of the Kingdom.
