A crowd of people gather at the beach in Rabat during a heat wave in Morocco Rabat – Rachid Bougha Moroccans face a wave of extreme heat all across Morocco during the current week as temperatures reached more than 47c in the shade in a number of the largest cities across the country. Dr. Mohamed Ahleemi, a specialist clinical dietitian and nutritionist, made assurances that the coincidence of Ramadan with the heatwave has no effect on the health of a person fasting and their ability to overcome hunger and thirst.
Mohamed Baloushy, an official at the Moroccan national meteorological department, mentioned that this heat wave which Moroccan people know well is owing to hot, dry air masses coming from the African Sahara and spreading toward the north.
He added that the temperatures will be between 43 and 47c in the shade in Tadla plains and Al-Houz, Rahamna, Welmas, and Sayes in centre Morocco, and the south eastern slopes and southern regions. While the temperature will be between 36 and 42c in the rural areas, Lucous, Abdou, and the north east.
 The highest temperatures are expected Wednesday, then the temperatures will gradually decrease to their normal levels for summer despite remaining relatively high ranging between 29 and 35 in coastal areas, between 35-42 in internal areas, and between 39-45 in southern regions.
On The effect of the heat on the people fasting in Morocco, nutritionist Mohamed Ahleemi said “the coincidence of Ramadan coinciding with the heat of the summer has no effect whatsoever on the health of a person fasting and their ability to overcome hunger and thirst as long as they stick to a healthy diet and avoid all that weakens the body and its immune system.”
 Ahleemi explained that Ramadan can be considered a “free medical course” being an effective method to get rid of bad habits that negatively affect a person’s health condition and a golden opportunity for the body to regain its vitality. On the other hand, he stressed the necessity of following a balanced diet and observing the rules of a healthy meal for the body to enjoy activeness and vitality from suhoor - the meal taken before dawn- until breaking the fast.
He affirmed that there is no need to worry about the thirst and hunger during the fast, which would last about 16 hours a day this year. He also clarified that what most people are not aware of is that the human body accommodates quickly with its external environment and preserves as much water as it can during Ramadan.
The author of the book “Disease and Cure in Food” mentioned that “the fear of hunger and thirst is unjustified since the human body accommodates quickly with the fast. The explanation to this is that the ability to overcome hunger and thirst rises directly after the first days of Ramadan”. He confirmed nevertheless the possibility to shorten the period of hunger and thirst by following a healthy diet on suhoor. He said that a good diet would protect us as much as possible from losing a percentage of water especially by avoiding foods that require a large amount of water during their digestion like fried foods.
 Preserving the percentage of water in the body does not only require drinking water, but getting used to food that contains a high percentage of water like fruits, vegetables, and fresh juice, contrary to the manufactured juices which raise the body’s need for water “because not all liquids hydrate the body and not all that refreshes the mouth refreshes the body.”
 In this concern, Ahleemi mentioned that  those observing Ramadan should “decrease the amount of salt in their food as it increases the body’s need for water, people should also decrease foods containing high sodium levels, as they accelerate dehydration.”