Tunisia, like many countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, is experiencing forest fires and an unprecedentedly severe heat wave, with temperatures approaching 50 degrees Celsius.
Temperatures across the country exceeded 40 degrees, while it reached a level of 45 degrees or more, in 19 out of 24 states, according to data from the Meteorological Institute.
The country has been witnessing a continuous heat wave since the beginning of this July, which is the most intense in years.
Today, Monday, the temperature in the capital, Tunis, and Bizerte, in the north of the country, reached a maximum of 48 degrees, which is a record that the two cities have not known since the records of the Institute of Meteorology began.
A source from the institute said that temperatures may increase sharply before witnessing a significant decrease on Wednesday.
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Residents fight forest fires in Tunisia
An official at the Ministry of Health said that the emergency medicine (reception and emergency department) had received, over the past few days, several sunstroke injuries.
Car meters on the roads documented numbers higher than 50 degrees. The “Metro Company” in the capital said that the high temperatures caused technical malfunctions in several carriages and disrupted their air conditioning systems, which led to disruption of trips.
In the western regions, firefighting teams have been struggling for about a week to put out fires in bored forests. Local authorities said today that they have evacuated all residents in the area. In order to meet the increasing demand for electricity, the state-owned Electricity and Gas Company said that it is forced to cut off the electricity periodically to contain the pressure on the network and avoid its collapse.
The Ministry of Agriculture also announced the adoption of a quota system in water distribution, with the aim of rationalizing scarce water resources.
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