Space Travel News
WEATHER REPORT
Malians struggle to cope after deadly heatwave
Malians struggle to cope after deadly heatwave
by AFP Staff Writers
Bamako (AFP) April 21, 2024

In Mali's capital Bamako, Aboubacar Pamateck runs a scarf under a trickle of water and wraps it around his head to cope with the West African nation's soaring heat.

Africa's Sahel region experienced a deadly heatwave in early April, exceptional both in terms of duration and intensity.

"I drink a lot of water and wear my turban, which I often get wet," Pamateck said. "I even avoid wearing nylon boubous. I prefer to wear small cotton boubous to avoid the heat."

From April 1 to April 5, temperatures in Mali exceeded 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) and peaked at a record 48.5C in the western city of Kayes.

A few days later, the thermometer fell back to a more familiar but still difficult 43 degrees at midday in the shade in Bamako.

Aas the sun beats down on the capital's streets, residents suffocate in airborne dust.

"It is very difficult in this heat," said a motorbike taxi driver, Ousmane Diarra. "But we have to work like this."

Ranked among the poorest countries in the world, Mali is ill-equipped to cope with heatwaves.

April's blast would not have occurred without human-induced climate change, according to a World Weather Attribution (WWA) study.

And such episodes are set to intensify because of climate change, caused by greenhouse gas emissions, the report added.

Mali frequently suffers from electricity cuts due to run-down power stations and the heavy debt the national energy company carries -- making it hard to rely on fans or air conditioners.

"At night, I sleep on the roof with my family," Pamateck said.

"I have even bought (handheld) fans that I give to my family so that they can ventilate themselves frequently. It is necessary."

- Excess deaths -

As well as being difficult to live and work in, heatwaves are amongst the "deadliest natural disasters", according to the WWA.

A lack of data in the Sahel region made it impossible to know the exact number of deaths, the WWA said, adding there were likely hundreds, if not thousands, of other heat-related casualties.

"This year, especially in recent months, we have come across many cases of people with high fever and dehydration," Dr Ibrahim Fall, head of a medical unit in Bamako's commune three, told AFP.

"We are therefore obliged to admit them to hospital, but unfortunately there is a very high mortality rate, of up to 50 percent, due to dehydration and fever," he said.

Power cuts also complicate the treatment of patients.

In early April, Bamako's national blood transfusion centre asked medical establishments to "suspend all non-essential transfusions" because of "daily power cuts lasting more than 12 hours" a day.

Scientists estimate that a heatwave like the one that hit Mali and Burkina Faso would be 10 times more frequent than in the current climate if global warming reaches two degrees, which could happen between 2040 and 2050.

Related Links
Weather News at TerraDaily.com

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
WEATHER REPORT
'Human-induced' climate change behind deadly Sahel heatwave: study
Dakar (AFP) April 18, 2024
The deadly heatwave that hit Africa's Sahel region in early April would not have occurred without "human-induced" climate change, according to a study by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group published Thursday. The West African nations of Mali and Burkina Faso experienced an exceptional heatwave from April 1 until April 5, with soaring temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius triggering a large number of deaths. Observations and climate models used by researchers at the WWA showed that "heatw ... read more

WEATHER REPORT
WEATHER REPORT
NASA Mars helicopter sends last message to Earth

Ingenuity Mars Helicopter transitions to stationary role on Red Planet

Comet Geyser: Perseverance's 24th Rock Core

NASA Aims for Cost-Effective Mars Sample Return by 2030s

WEATHER REPORT
NASA Goddard to Build Quake Detector for Artemis III Moon Landing

Tiandu satellites enhance Earth-Moon communication with successful transmission tests

Lunar i-hab mockup completes acceptance review at Thales Alenia Space

China's Queqiao-2 satellite marks success in recent communication tests

WEATHER REPORT
Pluto's heart-shaped feature explained by international research team

Assessing the ages of moons from impact craters

NASA unveils probe bound for Jupiter's possibly life-sustaining moon

Juice mission successfully tests Callisto flyby simulation

WEATHER REPORT
Tracing life's origins: Cambridge team explores early Earth conditions

Study traces bioluminescence back 540 million years in octocorals

Hidden biosphere discovered beneath world's driest hot desert

Desert soil microbes adapt to thrive in extreme dry conditions

WEATHER REPORT
Constellation of Starlink satellites grows with latest SpaceX launch from Florida

Sidus Space Joins Orbital Transports Partner Program to Broaden Market Presence

Constellation of Starlink satellites grows with latest SpaceX launch from Florida

Ariane 6 debut includes Portugal's first university CubeSat for aircraft tracking

WEATHER REPORT
China gears up for Shenzhou XVIII manned space mission

China finds use for space tech in extending food shelf life

Astronaut fitness regimes critical in Tiangong Space Station

Space Devices Ensure Health of Taikonauts Aboard Tiangong Space Station

WEATHER REPORT
Winchcombe meteorite's tumultuous space odyssey uncovered by nano-analysis

International Collaboration Boosts Planetary Defense Efforts with Hera Mission

New insights on the young ice deposits of Ceres

Climate warming endangers Antarctic meteorite collection

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.