"Since I was young, I have known that the heat problem exists in Fes. But in recent years, the temperature has increased significantly," explains Ahmed Ben Akrout, a resident of Fes, north of Morocco. Facing temperatures of nearly 40°C, the city's residents are trying to protect themselves as best they can. Further south, in Beni Mellal, the Ministry of Health announced on Thursday July 25 that 21 people had died in 24 hours as a result of a new heat wave that hit the country, which is grappling with its sixth consecutive year of drought. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES