A summer Tunisia has not seen in 76 years.. Heat breaks records
Amman3 min read
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The National Institute of Meteorology classified the summer of 2026 as the hottest in Tunisia since 1950, as average temperatures exceeded the climate norm for the period between 1991 and 2020 by about 2.9 degrees Celsius.
The institute said, in a quarterly bulletin published on Tuesday via its "Facebook" page, that the summer of 2026 witnessed severe and prolonged heat waves, extending to wide areas of the country, and was among the harshest recorded in Tunisia since 1950 in terms of heat intensity and duration.
The record increase was not limited to daytime hours, as Tunisia recorded an increase described by the institute as "exceptional and continuous" in nighttime temperatures, reducing periods of heat decline and doubling the pressure on electricity consumption, especially with the intensive use of cooling devices.
Increasing pressure on electricity
The record heat coincided with frequent power outages in several Tunisian regions, as the rise in consumption led to significant pressure on the energy production and distribution system.
The country witnessed periodic power outages at different times of the day, amid difficulty in meeting the growing demand during long heat waves.
The repercussions of the outages were not limited to homes, as commercial and service activities that depend on cooling or continuous operation of equipment were affected, while frequent outages sparked public discontent.
The electricity disruption also affected the operation of some water pumping stations, exacerbating drinking water supply problems in several areas during a period when demand increased due to high temperatures.
Water outages increase the suffering of residents
Several areas experienced interruptions in drinking water supply, coinciding with the hottest summer season in Tunisia in over seven decades.
The crisis cast a shadow over daily life, as residents were forced to seek alternatives to secure their needs, while commercial sectors faced difficulties in continuing to operate normally amid disrupted electricity and water supplies.
The summer of 2026 reveals the direct link between heat waves and the capacity of the infrastructure to withstand high demand. As temperatures rise, electricity consumption for cooling devices increases, while energy problems in turn disrupt water pumping, production, and distribution operations.
The new classification places the electricity and water networks under increasing challenge, especially when heat waves persist for long periods and nighttime temperatures do not drop enough to relieve pressure on consumption.
While the bulletin of the National Institute of Meteorology documents the climatic aspect of the summer of 2026, the frequent outages showed that the effects of record heat have gone beyond weather records, reaching basic services, commercial activities, and the daily lives of residents in different areas of Tunisia.
