Extreme Sahel heatwave that hit highly vulnerable population at the end of Ramadan would not have occurred without climate change

A World Weather Attribution analysis concludes that the extreme heatwave affecting the Sahel in early 2024, which coincided with Ramadan and power cuts, would have been impossible without the 1.2°C of global warming caused by human activities. The event was particularly severe in Mali and Burkina Faso, where 5-day maximum temperatures had a return time of 200 years. The study finds that human-induced warming increased 5-day maximum temperatures by 1.5°C in Mali/Burkina Faso and 1.4°C across the wider Sahel, while the current El Niño event contributed only a small amount (approximately 0.2°C). In Bamako, Mali, the Gabriel Touré hospital reported 102 deaths between 1-4 April, significantly exceeding the 130 deaths recorded for the entire month of April 2023.

• The extreme heat observed in the Sahel during March and April 2024 would have been impossible to occur without the 1.2°C of global warming resulting from human activities.
• Human-induced climate change increased the intensity of the heatwave, making 5-day maximum temperatures 1.5°C warmer in Mali and Burkina Faso and 1.4°C warmer across the broader Sahel region. Nighttime minimum temperatures in Mali and Burkina Faso would have been 2°C cooler in a climate 1.2°C cooler.
• The heatwave was exceptionally rare; in Mali and Burkina Faso, 5-day maximum temperatures had a return time of 200 years, while daily temperatures had a return time of 100 years and minimum temperatures a return time of 20 years. For the wider Sahel region, the return time for 5-day maximum temperatures was 30 years.
• The heatwave coincided with Ramadan fasting and power outages, which reduced the coping capacity of the population and increased risks for vulnerable groups. In Bamako, Mali, the Gabriel Touré hospital recorded 102 deaths from 1-4 April, compared to 130 deaths for the whole of April 2023.
• The current El Niño event had a minimal impact on the extreme temperatures, contributing approximately 0.2°C to the 5-day heat event, which is small compared to the impact of human-induced climate change.

APA

World Weather Attribution (2024). Extreme Sahel heatwave that hit highly vulnerable population at the end of Ramadan would not have occurred without climate change. https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/extreme-sahel-heatwave-that-hit-highly-vulnerable-population-at-the-end-of-ramadan-would-not-have-occurred-without-climate-change/

Chicago

World Weather Attribution. Extreme Sahel heatwave that hit highly vulnerable population at the end of Ramadan would not have occurred without climate change. 2024. https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/extreme-sahel-heatwave-that-hit-highly-vulnerable-population-at-the-end-of-ramadan-would-not-have-occurred-without-climate-change/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Weather Attribution |title=Extreme Sahel heatwave that hit highly vulnerable population at the end of Ramadan would not have occurred without climate change |date=18 April 2024 |url=https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/extreme-sahel-heatwave-that-hit-highly-vulnerable-population-at-the-end-of-ramadan-would-not-have-occurred-without-climate-change/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldweatherattribution2024extreme, author = {{World Weather Attribution}}, title = {{Extreme Sahel heatwave that hit highly vulnerable population at the end of Ramadan would not have occurred without climate change}}, institution = {World Weather Attribution}, year = {2024}, month = apr, url = {https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/extreme-sahel-heatwave-that-hit-highly-vulnerable-population-at-the-end-of-ramadan-would-not-have-occurred-without-climate-change/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }