Record-Breaking Heatwave in Sahel Region: Human-Caused Climate Change Contributes to Deadly Temperatures and Casualties

Bamako, Mali Mali
A deadly heatwave hit the Sahel region of Africa in early April 2024, causing numerous deaths.
Human-caused climate change significantly contributed to the extreme event.
One hospital in Mali reported 102 deaths between April 1 and April 4, almost as many as there had been for the entire month of March.
Temperatures reached record-breaking highs above 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) between April 1 and April 5.
The heatwave coincided with the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, making it more challenging for vulnerable populations to cope with the conditions.
The World Weather Attribution group found that human-induced climate change made this extreme heatwave impossible without the global warming of 1.2C to date.
Record-Breaking Heatwave in Sahel Region: Human-Caused Climate Change Contributes to Deadly Temperatures and Casualties

A deadly heatwave hit the Sahel region of Africa in early April 2024, with temperatures reaching record-breaking highs and causing numerous deaths. According to multiple sources, including studies by the World Weather Attribution group and reports from hospitals in Mali and Burkina Faso, human-caused climate change significantly contributed to this extreme event.

The heatwave caused temperatures in Mali and Burkina Faso to climb above 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) between April 1 and April 5. This was a once-in-a-200-year occurrence that led to numerous deaths, hospitalizations, and power shortages in the affected countries.

The extreme heat coincided with the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, making it even more challenging for vulnerable populations to cope with the conditions. The lack of electricity and access to fans or air conditioning units exacerbated the situation, leaving many people without relief from the intense heat.

One hospital in Mali's capital, Bamako, reported 102 deaths between April 1 and April 4. This was almost as many as there had been for the entire month of March. In addition to these fatalities, there were likely hundreds or even thousands of other heat-related casualties across the region.

The World Weather Attribution group found that human-induced climate change made this extreme heatwave impossible without the global warming of 1.2C to date. The study also noted that these trends will continue with future warming, emphasizing the importance of forming heat action plans and strengthening critical infrastructure such as electricity, water, and healthcare systems to adapt to the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme heat.

The rapid urbanization and loss of green spaces in cities like Bamako and Ouagadougou have also increased the urban heat island effect. This makes parts of cities significantly warmer than other areas, further exacerbating the challenges faced by vulnerable populations.

The Sahel region has been dealing with drought since the 1970s and periods of intense rainfall from the 1990s. The dwindling availability of water and pasture has disrupted the lives of pastoral populations, leading to mass migration and jihadist insurgencies in countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

Sources:

  • NPR: Lethal heat in West Africa is driven by human-caused climate change
  • The Guardian: Lethal heatwave in Sahel worsened by fossil fuel burning, study finds
  • Al Jazeera: Deadly Sahel heatwave caused by 'human-induced' climate change: Study

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Confidence

100%

No Doubts Found At Time Of Publication

Sources

99%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Lethal heat in West Africa is driven by human-caused climate change

National Public Radio (NPR) Thursday, 18 April 2024 00:00
  • Unique Points
    • A hospital in Mali reported 102 deaths within the first four days of April, with more than half being over the age of 60.
    • Power shortages in countries like Nigeria and Sierra Leone left people without fans or air conditioning units during the heatwave.
    • The climate crisis has been especially deadly in the Sahel region, leading to mass migration and jihadist insurgencies.
    • Temperatures rose up to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 F) warmer than normal across the region, with little relief at night as temperatures were up on average by 2 degrees Celsius.
  • Accuracy
    • A heatwave in West Africa caused by human-induced climate change killed hundreds or thousands of people in multiple countries.
    • Temperatures rose up to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 F) warmer than normal across the region.
    • Similar extreme weather events in the region will continue with future warming of the planet.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

92%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Deadly Sahel heatwave caused by ‘human-induced’ climate change: Study

Al Jazeera Media Network Al Jazeera Thursday, 18 April 2024 22:43
  • Unique Points
    • Human-induced climate change contributed to this unusually intense and lethal hot spell in West Africa’s Sahel region.
    • >100< deaths were reported in Gabriel Toure hospital in Bamako, Mali between April 1 and April 4, compared with 130 deaths for the entire month of March.
    • Rapid urbanisation and loss of green spaces in cities such as Bamako and Ouagadougou have increased the urban heat island effect.
  • Accuracy
    • Temperatures climbed to over 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) during this period.
    • The WWA study found that extreme heatwaves with the magnitude observed would have been impossible without global warming of 1.2C to date.
    • Gabriel-Touré hospital in Bamako reported 102 deaths over the first four days of April.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The article contains a few informal fallacies and inflammatory rhetoric. It also uses an appeal to authority. No formal logical fallacies were found.
    • . . . human-caused climate change contributed to an unusually intense and lethal hot spell throughout West Africa's Sahel region in April, according to a study by World Weather Attribution (WWA), an international network of scientists focusing on extreme weather events.
    • The WWA’s observations and climate models found that “heatwaves with the magnitude observed in March and April 2024 in the region would have been impossible to occur without the global warming of 1.2C to date, which it linked to “human-induced climate change”.
    • The length and severity of the extreme heat led to a stark increase in the number of deaths and hospitalisations in Mali and Burkina Faso, the WWA said.
  • Bias (80%)
    The article from Al Jazeera demonstrates a clear bias towards attributing the extreme heatwave in the Sahel region to 'human-induced climate change'. The author does not provide any counterarguments or perspectives that challenge this assertion. The language used in the article also depicts those who deny or question climate change as extremists, with phrases like 'human-caused climate change contributed to an unusually intense and lethal hot spell' and 'if humans had not warmed the planet by burning fossil fuels'. This bias is further reinforced when the author quotes the study as stating that 'these trends will continue with future warming'. The article also uses loaded language such as 'once-in-a-200-year occurrence' and 'stark increase in the number of deaths and hospitalisations' to create a sense of urgency and fear around the issue.
    • But it warned that ‘these trends will continue with future warming’
      • Human-caused climate change contributed to an unusually intense and lethal hot spell throughout West Africa’s Sahel region in April, according to a study by World Weather Attribution (WWA)
        • The heatwave caused temperatures in Mali and Burkina Faso to climb to more than 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) between April 1 and April 5
        • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication

        97%

        The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
        (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

        A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

        Lethal heatwave in Sahel worsened by fossil fuel burning, study finds

        theguardian.com Article URL: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/13/ pakistan-·coalition-·agrees-to-form-government Jonathan Watts Thursday, 18 April 2024 04:01
        • Unique Points
          • The Sahel region of Africa experienced a deadly protracted heatwave in early April.
          • Temperatures hit a record-breaking 48.5°C in the city of Kayes, Mali.
          • Gabriel-Touré hospital in Bamako reported 102 deaths over the first four days of April.
        • Accuracy
          • The five-day heatwave would have been 1.5°C cooler without human influence on the climate.
          • Human-induced global heating pushed up temperatures in western Africa by 4°C during the March heatwave.
        • Deception (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Fallacies (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Bias (95%)
          The author expresses a clear ideological bias towards the belief that human-caused climate disruption is responsible for extreme weather events and the resulting deaths. He uses language that depicts those who deny or downplay this belief as 'deniers' or 'dismissive'. The author also expresses a call to action against fossil fuel companies, implying a monetary bias against them.
          • For some, a heatwave being 1.4 or 1.5C hotter because of climate change might not sound like a big increase, but this additional heat would have been the difference between life and death for many people.
            • The deadly protracted heatwave that filled hospitals and mortuaries in the Sahel region of Africa earlier this month would have been impossible without human-caused climate disruption, a new analysis has revealed.
              • They said fossil fuel companies should also be made more accountable.
              • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication
              • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication