BENI MELLAL, Morocco (AP) — In the relentless heat of Morocco’s Middle Atlas, people slept on rooftops. Hanna Ouhbour also needed shelter, but she waited outside a hospital for her diabetic cousin, who lay in a room without air conditioning. On Wednesday, 21 people died in the heat at Beni Mellal’s main hospital, where temperatures … Read more
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — As the sun sets in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, Ahmed Bukar turns on his home air conditioner for a blast of warm air. The charge valve on the outdoor unit is leaking the refrigerant gas that powers the unit. A technician recently helped him refill the air conditioner with gas, … Read more
When Hurricane Ida slammed into Louisiana in August 2021 with catastrophic flooding and high winds, more than 1 million people were left without power. Then came the heat wave. Temperatures soared above 90 degrees Fahrenheit — a blow to those who were sweltering in their homes and unable to turn on air conditioning as power … Read more
The heat wave that left more than 100 million people sweating in the eastern US in June 2024 struck so quickly and was so extreme that forecasters warned that a sudden drought could follow in much of the region. Prolonged high temperatures can quickly dry out soils, causing rapid drought that can affect agriculture, water … Read more