General Khalifa Haftar, the Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan National Army (LNA), has issued stringent instructions to all military units, directing them to elevate their state of readiness, in anticipation of impending storms and heavy rainfall expected in the coming days.
A statement emphasises the adoption of “all necessary measures to ensure the success of rescue operations, and protection in regions that might be hit by adverse weather conditions.”
The General Command also highlighted that these directives “stem from the army’s national role in safeguarding the lives and properties of the Libyan people, throughout the nation.”
On Friday, the Libyan Parliament-designated government, headed by Osama Hammad, expressed growing concerns over meteorological predictions suggesting impending severe weather conditions in the coming days.
Forecasts indicate the likelihood of heavy rainfall, accompanied by storms and thundercells along the Libyan coast, ranging from Sirte westwards to the far east of Libya. This weather disturbance is expected to commence on Friday and continue until the following Sunday.
In a move to proactively address the potential consequences of these anticipated weather changes, the Libyan administration has established an emergency and crisis committee.
This committee will be chaired by the Prime Minister and will include members from various ministries, including the Interior, Health, Local Governance, Education, and Transportation. The committee will remain in continuous session, closely monitoring the evolving situation.
The Libyan government earnestly requests all relevant authorities to “declare and maintain the highest state of emergency, and remain on high alert throughout the predicted weather disruptions.”
Furthermore, a word of caution has been issued to all citizens, particularly those using public roads in the affected regions. The government stated, “We might need to declare an official holiday, which will be announced accordingly if the situation warrants, for all educational institutions come next Sunday.”
Though global temperatures tend to peak in late July, the extreme heat engulfing the planet this month is far from normal. Last June was Earth’s warmest on record, according to researchers at the World Meteorological Organization. Scientists have said that the first two weeks of July have been the hottest since at least 1940, and very likely before that.
The bouts of exceptional warmth are driven by the continued emissions of heat-trapping gases. This is primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels, and in part the return of El Niño, a cyclical weather pattern that tends to be associated with warmer years globally.