A heatwave in Morocco has resulted in the deaths of at least 21 people, as reported by authorities on Thursday.

A heatwave in Morocco has resulted in the deaths of at least 21 individuals over a 24-hour period in the central city of Beni Mellal, according to an announcement made by the health ministry on Thursday.

The meteorology department reported that a significant rise in temperatures affected much of North Africa from Monday to Wednesday. During this period, temperatures soared to 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit) in certain areas.

In Beni Mellal, the regional health directorate stated that most of the deaths involved individuals suffering from chronic illnesses and elderly people, whose health conditions deteriorated due to the extreme temperatures.

The health ministry was unable to immediately determine whether this represents the highest death toll ever recorded from a heatwave in Morocco.

Beni Mellal, which is located more than 200 kilometers (150 miles) southeast of Casablanca, was still experiencing temperatures of 43 degrees Celsius on Thursday. However, the meteorology department has forecasted a decrease in temperatures over the coming days. In the tourism hotspot of Marrakesh, temperatures are expected to drop by 10 degrees Celsius on Sunday.

Morocco is enduring its sixth consecutive year of drought. This past winter was marked by record heat, with January being the hottest since 1940. During this period, temperatures in some regions approached 37 degrees Celsius.

The prolonged drought and rising temperatures have resulted in decreased reservoir levels, posing a significant threat to the crucial agricultural sector.

Water evaporation rates have reached 1.5 million cubic meters (53 million cubic feet) per day, according to Water Minister Nizar Baraka in late June. The High Commission for Planning reported in May that the labour market continues to be adversely affected by the drought. The unemployment rate increased to 13.7% in the first quarter of this year, up from 12.9% in the same period of the previous year. Approximately 159,000 jobs have been lost in the agricultural sector, according to the figures.

Morocco's highest recorded temperature of 50.4 degrees Celsius was set in August of the previous year in Agadir, a coastal resort city.

On a global scale, Monday was recorded as the hottest day ever since measurements began in 1940, according to the European Union's Copernicus Earth observation program. The program had predicted that daily temperature records would be broken this summer in the northern hemisphere and that the planet would experience an extended period of intense heat due to climate change.

Scientists have linked climate change to increasingly prolonged, intense, and frequent extreme weather events, including heatwaves.