Temperatures rising in the Middle East and North Africa at twice the global average, says WMO

By the Climate Centre

The Middle East and North Africa had their hottest year on record in 2024, and the rate of warming is accelerating, accompanied by more intense heatwaves and droughts as well as extreme rainfall and storms, according to the first-ever report on MENA from the World Meteorological Organization.

These climate threats combine with rapid urbanization, conflict, poverty, and population growth, highlighting the urgent need to build resilience, invest in risk reduction and water security, says the State of Climate in the Arab Region 2024 report, published yesterday.

With a number of countries reporting temperatures above 50°C last year, WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said: “Temperatures are rising at twice the global average, with intense heatwaves that are pushing society to the limits.

“Human health, ecosystems and economies can’t cope with extended spells of more than 50°C – it is simply too hot to handle. Droughts are becoming more frequent and severe in one of the world’s most water-stressed regions. And at the same time, we have seen some disruptive and dangerous deluges.”

‘A qualitative step’

Drought worsened in 2024 in western North Africa after six consecutive failed rainy seasons, especially over Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia, the WMO says, but extreme rainfall and flash floods caused death and destruction in otherwise arid countries, including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Nearly 60 per cent of the countries in the region have multi-hazard early warning systems in place, “above the global average but still not enough,” says the UN’s specialized agency for meteorology and climate.

Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, said the report – the first of its kind for the region, incorporating with more tailored information than the WMO’s Asian and African equivalents – was a “qualitative step towards enhancing our collective understanding of climate patterns, associated risks and their social and economic impacts.”

Yemen is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world, and conflict and climate change have been making the problem worse. Through its partnership with the European Union (Page 16), the Yemen Red Crescent Society has worked hard on WASH infrastructure, and the National Society has reached more than 100,000 people with water-related projects (pictured). Temperature anomalies up to 1.6°C were observed last year across the southern Arabian peninsula in Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Yemen, says a new WMO report. (File photo: Yemen Red Crescent via IFRC)