Africa’s Sahel Can Expect More Deadly Heat Waves, Study Shows
- Mali and Burkina Faso recorded the most extreme heat
- Major hospitals in both countries reported heat-related deaths
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Climate change contributed to an unusually intense heat wave that hit West Africa’s Sahel region this month, with numerous deaths reported in at least two countries, according to a study by the World Weather Attribution.
“The burning of fossil fuels is playing a huge role” for the Sahel’s prolonged intense heat, said Friederike Otto, a senior lecturer in climate science at Imperial College London, who contributed to the study. With continued global warming, events like these will become more common, she said.