Tunisia: 2023 ranks 3rd among hottest years, according to INM

The INM’s climate report for the year 2023 indicates that the year 2023 ranked 3rd among the hottest years, following on from the year 2022, which was the hottest year that Tunisia has known since 1950.

In 2023, temperatures (averaged across Tunisia) were above average during all seasons.

Like most recent years, 2023 was also warm with an average temperature 1.1°C above normal.

Just like in recent years, in summer, minimum temperatures were monitored to be high. Nocturnal respite is impossible with the exceptional heat during the night. July was the hottest month on record. Several records for maximum temperatures have been broken.

The absolute maximum temperature of Tunisia in 2023 attained 49.1°C, it was registered in July in two stations: Gabes on July 25 and Médenine on July 29.

Autumn 2023 is ranked 1st among the warmest autumns since 1950 ex eco with autumn 2022. The exceptional heat of the autumn highlighted a trend towards a lengthening of the hot season.

Summer temperatures in 2023 extended from July to November with several late hot episodes.

The observed trend towards the lengthening of the hot season and the frequency of hot nights in summer can be considered supplementary indicators of global warming in Tunisia.

Tunisia, which was already undergoing water stress, suffered from a very significant rainfall deficit in autumn. Fall 2023 was ranked as the 2nd driest fall.

During September 2023, the heat reached unprecedented levels. September 2023 is the 5th warmest September since 1950 with a difference of +1.2°C.

After an already historic month of September (hot and dry), October 2023 followed the same path, with often stable, summery and quite dry weather across the whole of Tunisia. October 2023 was ranked the 2nd hottest October with an anomaly of +2.4°C.

Continuing from previous months; in November 2023 the heat reached exceptional levels during November 2023e. Maximum and minimum temperature anomalies are often remarkable. In Tunisia November 2023 is ranked the 1st warmest month of November with an anomaly of +2.2°C.