Extreme weather affects 13 mln people, results in 3,000 fatalities in Africa in 2025: report

ADDIS ABABA, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Extreme weather and climate-related events affected at least 13 million people and led to over 3,000 fatalities across Africa during 2025, a report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has revealed.

In its report entitled "State of the Climate in Africa 2025," unveiled on Thursday, the organization said extreme weather events have affected all sectors of the economy and society across the continent, resulting in rising flood and sea levels and vanishing glaciers, including on the iconic Mount Kilimanjaro.

According to the report, the African continent is warming faster than the global average. Africa's glaciers have lost more than 90 percent of their area since the late 19th century. On Mount Kilimanjaro, the glacier area has declined from 11.4 square km in 1900 to less than one square km in recent years.

Sea levels were rising along African coasts from 1999 to 2025, exceeding the global average of 3.6 mm per year in several regions. Floods accounted for more than half of reported events, including severe flooding in Nigeria that led to the death of over 200 people, and flooding in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that resulted in the death of over 160 people in May and April last year, respectively, according to the report.

Noting that the continent faces a critical gap in early warning systems, the report said that only 40 percent of African countries have multi-hazard early warning systems, which are needed to save lives and livelihoods.

However, the report also pointed out that there are encouraging collaborations between meteorological services, disaster management agencies and local authorities to advance climate services and response capabilities.

"The signs of a changing climate are clear across Africa, from increasing temperatures and rising sea levels to damaging floods and drought. This report shows not only the scale of the risks, but also the growing importance of early warnings, climate services and coordinated action to protect lives and livelihoods," the report quoted WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo as saying. Enditem