The General Directorate of Meteorology (DGM) presented its annual report on Morocco's climate in 2024 on Friday in Rabat, in a meeting attended by the Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka. Published by the DGM for the fifth consecutive year, the report highlights the alarming reality that 2024 has become the hottest year in the country's history, surpassing 2023, which had already set a record. It also sheds light on the rising frequency of extreme weather events. Summarizing the findings, Mohamed Dkhissi, Director General of Meteorology, explained that the analysis shows a national average temperature anomaly of +1.49°C compared to the 1991–2020 climatological baseline. This historic record fits within the broader trend of global warming, with the average global temperature surpassing, for the first time, the +1.5°C threshold above pre-industrial levels. The temperature data also reveal increased thermal anomalies, especially during autumn and winter. Notably, January and November 2024 recorded the highest average temperatures ever observed for those months, according to the official. While the summer was generally less hot than in 2023, several intense heatwaves still broke daily maximum temperature records, including 47.7°C in Beni Mellal and 47.6°C in Marrakech. Regarding rainfall, the report noted a national average deficit of -24.8% in 2024, confirming the continuation of drought for the sixth consecutive year. That said, intense rainfall was recorded locally—in the Atlas Mountains, southeast, Oriental region, and Tata area—particularly in September. However, these episodes did not reverse the overall dry trend. The extreme rains caused significant flooding and even led to the reappearance of Lake Iriqui after half a century of drought. As a result, the 2023–2024 agricultural and hydrological year was the driest recorded since the 1960s, with a precipitation deficit of 46.64%, highlighting how the lack of snow, high temperatures, and scarce rainfall have worsened hydrological drought conditions.
