West African heatwave caused by climate change- study

A study by the World Weather Attribution group of scientists found that the heat wave that damaged crops in West Africa was triggered by human-caused global heating.

The heatwave, with temperatures averaging 40C, damaged the cocoa harvest in West Africa, sending prices of the key chocolate ingredient higher.

Farmers in Ghana and Côte D’Ivoire, which supply 60% of world cocoa, said trees were severely damaged by extreme heat.

The heatwave would have happened less than once a century without climate change, the study found, noting that in the absence of action to cut emissions such devastating heatwaves would recur every other year.

The most severe heat occurred from 11 to 15 February, with temperatures peaking above 40C and averaging 36C.

Globally, February was the warmest February on record, making it the ninth month in a row with record temperatures for the time of year, scientists said.

In South Sudan, authorities shutdown schools due to extreme heat as temperatures hit 45C.