Number of unusually hot days rises by 126%
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on LesEco.ma
Illustrative image · ABDULATIF ABDULKADIR KULATEIN · Pexels · Licence PexelsThe average annual number of days when temperatures exceed seasonal norms increased by 126% between 2021 and 2025 compared with 1981-2010, according to the OECD. Its 2026 Climate Action Monitor report highlights growing risks for agriculture, energy, transport and supply chains, LesEco.ma reports.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East and North Africa, the average annual number of days when temperatures exceed seasonal norms more than tripled between 2021 and 2025 compared with the 1981-2010 reference period, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The organisation estimates that this trend increases risks for agriculture, energy, transport and supply chains.
In OECD countries, around half of the population is exposed each year to days exceeding 35°C. The number of heat-stress days increased by 35% between 1981-2010 and 2021-2025, an average of 17 additional days per year, according to the OECD’s 2026 Climate Action Monitor report, published on 5 November.
The OECD highlights that arid and semi-arid economies are particularly exposed because of water stress and the importance of agricultural activities. Rising extreme heat can also affect working conditions and productivity in activities carried out outdoors or in environments heavily exposed to heat.
