Emergence of new heat stress hotspots over West Africa

npj natural hazards. 2026 Open access

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Authors: Ivana Cvijanović, Benjamin Sultan, Asse Mbengue, Martha M. Vogel, Ousmane Ndiaye, Christophe Lavaysse
DOI: 10.1038/s44304-026-00240-5
Cited by: 0

Abstract

Motivated by the recent record-breaking heatwaves over western Africa, we analyzed 50 years of hourly wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) data to identify emerging heatwave hotspots, characterize their timing and types, and evaluate whether simpler heatwave metrics, more commonly used by meteorological agencies, can be employed to estimate dangerous WBGT conditions. We find that exposure to WBGT ≥30 °C and

Fields of Study & Subjects

Climate variability and models

Publication details

Journal / source
npj natural hazards.
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Publication date
9 July 2026
Language
EN