MENA heatwave sparks powercuts and wildfires, as temperatures soar above 45C

A sweltering heatwave has piled pressure on already fragile infrastructure across the Middle East and North Africa, triggering blackouts in Iraq, record temperatures in Morocco and the UAE, and wildfires in western Turkey.

In Iraq, summer power shortages have gripped several provinces, with residents in the western Anbar province reporting as little as two hours of electricity a day. Energy analysts attribute the disparity to better resource planning in the north, including local power generation and partial privatisation of distribution networks. 

The outages come as temperatures across Iraq climb above 45°C, and the crisis is mirrored across the region.

Scientists believe power shortages and wildfires as part of a growing trend of extreme weather driven by global warming. A recent UN study showed the number of extremely hot days globally has nearly doubled over the past three decades.

Morocco breaks temperature record

In Morocco, monthly temperature records were broken over the weekend, with some areas exceeding seasonal normalities by up to 20°C, according to the country’s national meteorological office (DGM). 

The heatwave, described as a "chegui" event, an intense dry heat system, affected more than 17 regions, with the Atlantic plains and interior plateaus hit hardest.

In Casablanca, the temperature reached 39.5°C, surpassing the previous June record set in 2011. In Ben Guerir, central Morocco, it climbed to 46.4°C, a full degree higher than the previous record.

The kind of weather that hugs you the second you step outside! 🌫️🌡️

Video via: @dhaadi_guy#lovinabudhabi #lovin #abudhabi #foggy pic.twitter.com/JchE0j5k56

— Lovin Abu Dhabi (@LovinAbuDhabi) June 28, 2025

"Coastal cities like Essaouira saw temperatures 10 to 20 degrees above normal," the DGM said, while inland cities such as Marrakech and Beni Mellal experienced heat surges of up to 15°C above average.

Meteorologists attribute the spike to a Saharan thermal depression, an intense dome of heat over North Africa, and warned that the high temperatures will persist in the coming days.

In the Gulf, the UAE saw its own records fall with temperatures averaging 40 degrees. 

It comes after a heatwave hit areas like Sweihan, located in the Al-Ain area of Abu Dhabi, with 51.6°C in May, exceeding the previous record  for that month of 50.2°C set in 2009. 

According to the UAE’s National Center of Meteorology, this was the second consecutive day of record-breaking heat.

The UAE, one of the world’s hottest countries and a major oil exporter, is especially vulnerable to climate change. A 2022 Greenpeace report found that the Middle East is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, placing its food and water systems at "extreme risk". It warned of growing threats from drought, crop failures, and heat-related illnesses.

Turkey battles wildfires 

In Turkey, firefighters are battling wildfires for a second day in the western province of Izmir. High winds of up to 50 km/h fanned flames overnight in the Kuyucak and Doğanbey areas, forcing evacuations in four villages and two neighbourhoods and grounding flights at a nearby airport, leaving thousands of tourists stranded.

Speaking to reporters in Izmir, Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı said more than 1,000 personnel, along with helicopters and firefighting aircraft, were working to control the blazes. Television footage showed smoke rising over charred landscapes, with helicopters dumping water on scorched hillsides.

Western and southern Turkey have become increasingly vulnerable to wildfires in recent years, with scientists attributing this to rising temperatures and prolonged droughts linked to climate change, which have made forests drier and more combustible.