Tunisia has announced that summer 2026 has been the hottest recorded summer in the history of the country, highlighting serious challenges arising from heatwaves, water shortages, and power outages. The National Institute of Meteorology of Tunisia stated that this summer has broken records since temperature recording began in 1950.
Impact of Climate Change on Temperature
According to reports, the average temperature in summer 2026 was about 2.9 degrees Celsius higher than the previous record. Although Tunisia is accustomed to heat, this year it has experienced an especially grueling summer, with the months of July and August marked by severe and prolonged heatwaves. Scientists attribute the impact of these phenomena to climate change.
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Social and Health Consequences
This summer, nighttime temperatures were also consistently high. The highest temperature was recorded in the central city of Kairouan at 49.7 degrees Celsius in mid-July. Additionally, in northwestern Tunisia, temperatures reached 49.2 degrees Celsius in Beja and 48.4 degrees Celsius in Tozeur in the south. However, officials have not yet provided accurate statistics on the health impacts of these heatwaves, but a representative group of young Tunisian doctors has reported many deaths that they claim were due to the heat.
Moreover, the Tunisian League for Human Rights (LTDH) has documented 23 deaths in prisons, citing the harsh conditions resulting from high temperatures and overcrowding in cells as primary factors.
Power and Water Outages
President Kais Saied has announced that power outages, which sometimes last more than 10 hours, are not merely a temporary or isolated problem, and he stated that these incidents are part of "criminal programs" and "provocative efforts." The state electricity company of Tunisia (STEG) has also stated that power outages are implemented to reduce pressure on the country's electricity grid.
At the same time, water outages have also occurred frequently, as a large portion of Tunisia's water supply relies on electric pumps that are disrupted during power outages. This water outage has been compounded by a shortage of bottled water, which is also related to the power outages.
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