A fire near the town of Melloula, Tunisia, on July 24. FETHI BELAID / AFP
On Monday, July 24, the mercury temperature in Tunisia reached 50°C, 6 to 10°C higher than normal for the season, causing power outages and forcing many residents to seek refuge on the coast or beaches, even at night. Authorities have also been on alert in neighboring Algeria, with local peaks of up to 48C being placed under “orange vigilance” in five eastern prefectures (Jijel, Skikda, Annaba, El Tarf and Guelma).
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Fierce fires were recorded in both countries amid overheated vegetation that had been deprived of water for weeks. In Algeria, fires in the north and east on Sunday night killed 15 people and injured 26 and forced the evacuation of 1,500 people. In Tunisia, in a border area with Algeria, near Tabarka (north-west), fires have broken out again, fueled by strong gusts of wind and scorching temperatures. At least 300 people have been evacuated by sea from the village of Melloula, which has been the victim of a serious fire during the week, and others by land.
On Monday, temperatures in downtown Tunis rose to a high of 49C in the shade. A screen on Avenue Bourguiba, the central axis of the capital, even showed 56°C in the sun at noon. The passers-by AFP encountered were rare. Aïda Cherif, 56, had no choice: “I have a doctor’s appointment and I had to go out, but with my bottle of water. I usually do my shopping early in the morning. Then I lock myself at home. »
power outages
Others perceive the situation with more mucus. Elyes Nafti, 18, goes to the beach: “We lie down under an umbrella and come back at the end of the afternoon when the temperatures drop. It’s hot in the medina [le centre-ville historique]. We’re going to freshen up a little, sit down and have a good time. »
Tunisians from working-class areas, often without air conditioning, come to sleep in tents on the beaches of Carthage or La Marsa north of Tunis in the evenings. On social networks, many ironicize the peak of the heat and compare Tunisia to a “kanoun”, a traditional brazier. Others posted prayers for an end to the heatwave that lasted more than two weeks.
These unusually high temperatures for the month of July have led to power outages in recent days. The Tunisian Electricity and Gas Company (STEG) explained that it decided to do this in order to keep the network efficient. This load shedding takes place for half an hour to an hour, particularly at times of high consumption. On July 10, a record power consumption of 4,692 megawatts was achieved through intensive use of the air conditioning system.
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In Algeria, which was hit by an “unprecedented heatwave,” the National Electricity and Gas Company (Sonelgaz) recorded peak consumption of 18,697 megawatts on Sunday. Air conditioners are now overpriced (more than 500 euros, previously 300 euros) or no longer available.
Elsewhere in North Africa, Morocco and Libya, temperatures were more in line with seasonal norms.
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