Climate zones in Morocco, 1991 to 2020
Share of Morocco's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 794,747 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 590,669 km²).
By major group: B (arid) 80%, C (temperate) 19%, D (cold (continental)) 1.1%.
BWh, hot desert, is the main climate of Morocco, covering 55% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, with Csa (hot-summer mediterranean) next at 17%. In plain terms, hot desert means very dry and hot. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 24% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to BWh (hot desert).
How Morocco's zones have changed and may change
Each row compares a map with 1991 to 2020. "Share in a different zone" is the share of the country's area whose class is different from 1991 to 2020. Future rows are model projections under an emissions scenario, not forecasts.
| Map | Share in a different zone | Different major group | Biggest gain | Biggest loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 to 1930 (past) | 15% | 3.8% | BSh +5.1 percentage points | BSk -5.9 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 15% | 4.5% | BWh +4.7 percentage points | BWk -3.4 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 24% | 7.7% | BWh +10.5 percentage points | BWk -5.2 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 35% | 13% | BWh +18 percentage points | Csa -9.4 percentage points |
For the past row, the comparison runs the other way: the 1901 to 1930 map against 1991 to 2020.
Zone shares by map
| Zone | 1901 to 1930 | 1991 to 2020 | SSP1-2.6 (2071 to 2099) | SSP2-4.5 (2071 to 2099) | SSP5-8.5 (2071 to 2099) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BWh Hot desert | 52% | 55% | 59% | 65% | 73% |
| Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | 18% | 17% | 15% | 12% | 7.3% |
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | 5% | 10% | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | 15% | 8.6% | 7% | 5.2% | 3.1% |
| BWk Cold desert | 5.7% | 6.5% | 3% | 1.2% | 0.1% |
| Csb Warm-summer Mediterranean | 4% | 2.3% | 1% | 0.5% | 0.2% |
| Dsb Warm-summer continental with dry summer | 1.3% | 1% | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| Dsc Subarctic with dry summer | 0.1% | 0.1% | - | - | - |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Morocco and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Casablanca | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
| Rabat | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean |
| Fes | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean |
| Tangier | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean |
| Marrakesh | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | BWh Hot desert |
| Salé | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean |
| Agadir | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | BWh Hot desert |
Zones found in Morocco
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was BWh. See data sources and licences.