Weather & Science
Climate Change Worsened West African Heat Wave, Study Suggests
- High February temperatures described as ‘one-in-10 year event’
- Weather caused illness, hurt cocoa output and disrupted games
Men sit in the shade of a tree in north-east of Nigeria.
Photographer: Stefan Heunis/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Climate change contributed to the dangerous mix of high heat and humidity that swept through west African countries in February, causing illness and disrupting a football tournament on the continent, according to scientists.
The most severe heat occurred between February 11-15 with temperatures rising above 40°C, according to a study by the World Weather Attribution, which does research on recent or current climate events. That’s already dangerously hot, but the apparent temperature — which factors in humidity to give a measure of what the heat actually feels like — hit an average of 50°C (122°F), the study said.