Egypt sets hottest June day in African history; historic heatwave hits Cyprus
Aswan in Egypt recorded 50.9 °C (123.6 °F) on June 7, 2024, setting the highest reliable temperature ever recorded in Egypt and the hottest June day in African history. On the same day, Cyprus experienced its hottest June day ever with temperatures hitting 44 °C (111 °F), breaking its record for the second time this month.
On June 7, 2024, Aswan in Egypt reached a staggering 50.9 °C (123.6 °F), setting the highest reliable temperature ever recorded in Egypt and marking the hottest June day in African history. Previously, Egypt recorded a temperature of 51 °C (123.8 °F) on July 4, 1918, also in Aswan, but it was taken without a Standard Stevenson Screen, which raises questions about its accuracy.
Additionally, Alula in Saudi Arabia set a new monthly record at 47 °C (116.6 °F) on June 7.
The same day saw Cyprus set its new national record for the hottest June day ever, with temperatures soaring to 44 °C (111 °F) — 10 °C (18 °F) above the usual peak June temperatures. This marked the second time in the same month that Cyprus broke its highest June temperature record, following a previous high of 43.7 °C (110.7 °F) set on June 5.
On June 11, Rhourd Nouss in Algeria experienced historic temperatures as high as 48.8 °C (119.8 °F) with a minimum of 35.9 °C (96.6 °F). The same day, El Borma in Tunisia registered 48 °C (118.4 °F), and Tripoli in Libya recorded 46.8 °C (116.2 °F), according to climatologist and weather historian Maximiliano Herrera.
Other notable temperatures in the region included Rhourd Nouss, which on June 10 recorded a minimum of 34.2 °C (93.6 °F) and a maximum of 47.6 °C (117.7 °F), while El Borma reached 46.1 °C (115 °F) and Essbea near Tripoli hit 46.2 °C (115.2 °F). In Saudi Arabia, Gassim set new June records with a minimum of 34 °C (93.2 °F) and a maximum of 47 °C (116.6 °F), while Najran reached 43 °C (109.4 °F) on June 10.
