Zimbabwe is experiencing intense heat as a strengthening El Niño raises concerns about hotter and drier conditions across southern Africa.
The country’s Meteorological Services Department (MSD), together with the Department of Civil Protection, issued a three-day advisory warning of very hot weather from Sunday to Tuesday.
The warning comes days after the South African Weather Service (SAWS) linked recent heatwave conditions in parts of South Africa to El Niño.
Temperatures rise across Zimbabwe
According to Zimbabwe’s MSD, reduced cloud cover and longer periods of sunshine have contributed to rising daytime temperatures across much of the country.
The department expects particularly hot conditions in the Zambezi and Save valleys, where low-lying terrain makes these areas more vulnerable to high temperatures.
Temperatures could increase by up to 5°C in some north-western and southern areas, while parts of central Zimbabwe could experience increases of approximately 3°C.
The MSD classified the advisory as Warning Level Zero, indicating a high likelihood of very hot weather but minimal overall expected impact.
Despite the classification, authorities have urged residents to take precautions against dehydration, heat exhaustion and other heat-related illnesses.
Is El Niño behind the heat?
Zimbabwe’s hot spell comes as El Niño strengthens over the tropical Pacific Ocean, raising concerns about its possible impact on southern Africa’s summer weather.
El Niño occurs when sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific become unusually warm, influencing rainfall and temperature patterns around the world.
El Niño is often associated with higher temperatures and below-normal rainfall across parts of southern Africa, although its effects vary between regions and individual weather events.
However, Zimbabwe’s MSD has attributed the current hot conditions to reduced cloud cover and increased sunshine.
It has not directly linked this particular hot spell to El Niño.
South Africa also faces extreme heat
On Friday, 16 October, SAWS warned that heatwave conditions would persist in parts of KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape into the beginning of the following week.
Speaking to Eyewitness News, SAWS forecaster Andre Fourie said El Niño had contributed to the heatwave affecting parts of South Africa.
He explained that the developing climate pattern could contribute to above-normal temperatures as the country moves towards summer.
SAWS has also warned that much of South Africa could experience hotter and drier conditions during the coming summer months, although not every El Niño event results in drought.