Scientists from Mali, Burkina Faso, Mozambique, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United States and the United Kingdom collaborated to assess to what extent human-induced climate change altered the likelihood and intensity of the extreme heat across the Sahel.

The recent heatwave coincided with Ramadan (fasting) and power cuts, which compounded the risk for vulnerable groups and even those not traditionally considered vulnerable, the scientists say.

Even minimum temperatures, overnight, remained relatively high, making it so that people did not get a break from the heat. The power cuts further made it difficult for those who did have access to mechanical cooling to use it, thus reducing their coping capacity.

Even in today’s climate, that has warmed by 1.2°C since pre-industrial times due to human activities, the extreme heat observed over the Mali/Burkina Faso region is still rare. While the daily temperatures were extreme, with a return time of about 100 years, the 5-day maximum temperatures were particularly unusual with a return time of 200 years. Minimum temperatures were less extreme but still rare with a return time of 20 years over Mali/Burkina Faso. For the Sahel region the return time of the 5-day maximum temperatures are 30 years.

Critical infrastructure such as electricity, water, and healthcare systems needs to be strengthened to adapt to the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme heat, requiring increased investment to ensure reliable access and service delivery.