Morocco expands weather alert coverage to all local authorities

Morocco has extended its weather vigilance system to cover all 1,503 territorial communities across the country as part of efforts to strengthen preparedness for natural hazards, Equipment and Water Minister Nizar Baraka announced before the House of Representatives.

Speaking during an oral question session, Baraka said weather alert bulletins now cover every territorial authority in the Kingdom. He added that the ministry has strengthened its meteorological observation network through 243 automatic stations to improve monitoring of weather events.

The minister said public weather forecasts are now limited to a three day horizon instead of seven days. At the same time, the early warning period has been extended from 24 hours to 36 hours to improve risk anticipation and preparedness.

Baraka also noted that municipal presidents receive daily weather forecasts through SMS messages, enabling local authorities to make faster decisions during severe weather conditions and extreme events.

New digital tools for risk prevention

As part of the same initiative, the ministry launched the digital platform vigilance.ma. The platform provides users with detailed alert bulletins and vigilance maps covering various natural risks.

The ministry is also working with the Ministry of the Interior to establish a system that will send alert messages directly to citizens located in threatened areas. The objective is to strengthen prevention measures and improve public safety during emergencies.

New agencies planned

Baraka further announced that the government is working on the creation of a Meteorological Agency and a specialized Climate Agency.

According to the minister, these institutions are intended to strengthen national forecasting capabilities and provide the data needed to address risks linked to climate change.