the thermometer breaks records because of El Niño

Since January, all of West Africa has been breaking heat records attributed to the El Niño weather phenomenon.

Usually, we talk about the El Ni phenomenonnoto to talk about its consequences in South America, or even on the east coast of Africa: Somalia, Madagascar, South Africa. It is therefore unusual to see these heat records in Ivory Coast, on the west coast. In 2024, between February and March, the thermometer rose to 41 degrees, while normally it does not exceed 35-36 degrees.

Ivory Coast is not the only country in the region affected. In Mali, the town of Kayes, in the southwest, suffocated under 48.5°C in early April. It should be noted that El Niño is not the only one responsible for this disruption, the development of industry and human action also play their role.

Africa is warming faster than the rest of the world

Even though Africa emits only 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions, it is warming faster than other continents. Temperatures there increased by 1.4°C, compared to 1.1°C globally. When you talk to older people, you are surprised by what they tell you. They explain to you that there, before, there was grass, trees and fruits grew, whereas today it is just a sand dune where nothing grows.

This heat disrupts flora and fauna and has an impact on agriculture. In Côte d’Ivoire, this sector represents a quarter of the GDP and more than half of the country’s jobs. For cocoa, the beans no longer grow normally and turn black. In fact, the leaves of cocoa trees which are used to protect the beans dry out and fall. As a result, yields collapse. A plot that was used to produce a ton of chocolate now only produces 300 kilos. Successive heat waves also cause flower malformations, which no longer grow properly. More water is needed, but because of the heat, water becomes more scarce, because there is greater evaporation of water.

Thus, according to forecasts by the Ivorian government, climate change could “result in annual GDP losses of 3 to 4.5% between 2020-2030”.

Records also in Cuba, Japan, the Philippines, Canada

What is happening in Africa is happening in the same way almost everywhere in the world, it is quite impressive. Cuba recorded a record temperature of 40.1°C on Thursday, April 11, while August is the hottest month of the year. Japan observed a record in Sapporo, Philippines, where thousands of schools closed a week ago due to high temperatures. In Canada, all indicators are in the red. A warmer than normal winter, widespread drought and light snow accumulations in most regions. The authorities fear another catastrophic summer on the forest fire front.

We could add Spain, France, and many other countries where the trend is worrying. March 2024 was the hottest March ever recorded in the world, and the heat of the oceans reached a new absolute record with an average of 21.07°C measured at the surface, excluding areas near the poles.