Heat dome pushes Horn cities past 45C as grids strain to keep up
Meteorologists in Djibouti, Mogadishu and Hargeisa recorded consecutive nights above 32C, a pattern climate scientists say is arriving a decade ahead of earlier models.
Djibouti — A heat dome parked over the western Indian Ocean pushed daytime highs above 45C in Djibouti and coastal Somalia this week, with overnight lows barely dipping below body temperature.
Utilities in three capitals rolled out staggered load-shedding to protect ageing transformers, and health ministries reopened cooling centers first used during the 2023 crisis.
Regional climate scientists said the event is consistent with a faster-than-projected warming pattern for the Horn coast, and urged municipalities to accelerate shade, water-point and clinic upgrades before the next dome forms.