Since early 2023, the Republic of Panama has experienced one of the driest years on record. Precipitation from the area of the Panama Canal Watershed (PCW), source of 100% of the water used by the Panama Canal for its operations, was below average for all but one of the 8 months that make up Panama’s rainy season (May-December).
From April 14 to15 2024, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the northern parts of Oman were hit by exceptionally heavy rainfall causing massive disruption in infrastructure and public life in the area and leading to at least 20 fatalities in Oman and four in the UAE.
At the end of March and the beginning of April 2024 a region across the Sahel and West Africa experienced extreme heat, with maximum temperatures in the Sahel reaching more than 45°C and minimum temperatures of 32°C in Burkina Faso (Burkina Faso Meteorological Agency). Kayes in Mali recorded 48.5°C on 3 April.
From January 2024, large parts of Southern Africa experienced significantly below average rainfall, with Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Angola, Mozambique and Botswana receiving less than 20 percent of the typical rainfall expected for February, with devastating consequences for the population largely depending on rainfed agriculture.
Southern West Africa experienced unusually excessive humid heat early in the season.