The official data released by the General Directorate of Meteorology on Friday, detailing the temperature trends during the summer of 2026 and the first twenty days of September, reveals that this summer in Morocco was characterized as "relatively hot overall." According to the analytical data, supported by maps and descriptive graphics, the summer of 2026 is classified among the relatively hot summers that Morocco has experienced over recent decades. The national average temperature recorded a deviation of +1.07 degrees Celsius compared to the normal average from 1991 to 2020, placing it as the eighth hottest summer since 1981 in the kingdom, with the summer of 2023 still holding the record for the hottest at a deviation of +1.92 degrees Celsius.
Notably, the first twenty days of September 2026 marked the hottest period ever recorded in Morocco for this time frame, a claim that has been corroborated by various international reports. This exceptional rise in temperatures concludes a summer that has been identified as one of the hottest in the kingdom's history, significantly impacted by successive and intense heat waves.
Record Heat in Major Cities
According to the same data, the three summer months exhibited unusual heat across the nation: June recorded a deviation of +0.97 degrees Celsius (eighth place), July saw a deviation of +1.37 degrees Celsius (seventh place), and August reflected a +0.89 degrees Celsius deviation (tenth place). On a local scale, the cities of Oujda, Al Hoceima, and Tetouan marked the summer of 2026 (June-July-August) as the hottest in their history, with deviations of +2.22, +2.33, and +1.42 degrees Celsius, respectively. Furthermore, July 2026 was the hottest month ever recorded in Casablanca (+2.15 degrees Celsius), Kenitra (+1.61 degrees Celsius), and El Jadida (+1.69 degrees Celsius).
This summer experienced two major heat waves: the first lasting from June 29 to July 9 (11 days), where temperatures reached 47 degrees Celsius in both Smara and Sidi Slimane, and 45.5 degrees in Taroudant. The second wave extended from July 30 to August 6 (8 days), with temperatures peaking at 48.6 degrees Celsius in Taroudant, 48.4 degrees in Smara, 46.4 degrees in Guelmim, and 43.5 degrees in Tiznit. Altogether, the summer of 2026 recorded 19 days categorized as "very hot," compared to 27 days during the summer of 2023.
Continued Heat into September
After a slight decrease in temperatures during the latter half of August, a resurgence of heat began at the start of September, with Morocco experiencing two new heat waves: the first from September 3 to 9, and the second from September 12 to 15. During the first wave, several monthly temperature records were shattered; Sidi Slimane recorded 47.1 degrees Celsius, surpassing the previous record of 45.8 degrees set in 1988. In Kenitra, temperatures reached 45.1 degrees, exceeding the former record of 44.6 degrees recorded in 2006. In Salé, temperatures climbed to 44.3 degrees, breaking the record of 43.6 degrees set in 2021, and in Laayoune, the temperature reached 45.8 degrees, surpassing the previous record of 45.0 degrees established in 2005.
In conclusion, the General Directorate of Meteorology indicated that the first twenty days of September represented, on average, the hottest period ever recorded for this time frame since 1981, further confirming the exceptional nature of this season in the climatic history of the kingdom.
As reported by hespress.com.
