Currently, Africa is experiencing one of the most severe heatwaves in recent memory, with temperatures causing intense inconveniences. Extreme heat strains is affecting the populations in arid regions like the Sahara and the Serengeti savanna, straining people, resources, and infrastructure to near breaking point. Some African countries have experienced temperatures close to 50°C during the year.
A publication, Down to Earth, reported that “Between March 18-19, 2024, at least five African nations — South Africa, Gabon, Kenya and South Sudan — reported record-breaking temperatures.”
South Sudan was able to record as high as 43 degrees Celcius on extremely hot days, while the numbers for South Africa’s Twee Rivieren, Upington, and Postmasburg, experienced 43.7°C, 42.3°C, 38.8°C, respectively.
One of the most worrying characteristics of this heatwave is its length. Heatwaves often pass fast, but this one has lasted weeks with little respite in sight. This prolonged exposure to severe heat exacerbates the effects on both human health and the ecosystem.
In every region of the continent, from East to West and North to South, there is some measure of heatwave. Nasa recently reported that “in March 2024, a heatwave scorched East Africa. The extreme heat forced government officials to resort to emergency safety measures including shuttering schools in South Sudan for two weeks.”
With that said, here are the 10 hottest countries in Africa according to Yahoo Finance. This list covers the mean annual temperature as opposed to the hottest temperature each country has recorded.
Rank
Country
Mean annual temperature
Global rank
1.
Burkina Faso
29.3°C
1st
2.
Mali
29.2°C
2nd
3.
Senegal
29.0°C
4th
4.
Mauritania
28.9°C
6th
5.
Benin
28.7°C
8th
6.
Gambia
28.5°C
9th
7.
Guinea-Bissau
28.1°C
10th
8.
Ghana
27.7°C
13th
9.
Sudan
27.6°C
15th
10.
Niger
27.6°C
16th
Methodology for the top 10 hottest African countries in 2024
The data for average annual temperatures, measured in degrees Celsius from the Yahoo Finance report, was sourced from the World Bank.
Source link : https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/lifestyle/top-10-hottest-african-countries-in-2024/8v10zgv
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Publish date : 2024-04-08 07:00:00
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