Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe are among other countries forecast to be exposed for 10 days to extreme heatwave with temperatures expected to reach 41°C+ in the course of this week, with weather experts calling for caution against the climate induced effects on human and animals.

The intense heat, effective today, is forecast to affect parts of the Southern Africa starting tomorrow.

Maximum daytime temperatures are forecast to exceed 40°C across Zambia, Mozambique, southern Malawi, Zimbabwe, northern Botswana, southern Angola and parts of northeastern Namibia, the Climate Services Centre (SADC-CSC), a regional agency tasked to monitor and issue regional climate alerts says.

The intensity, has come with serious repercussions because of the extreme daytime temperatures that is feared may pose significant risks to human health, livestock and agricultural activities.

Exerts claim during the 10-period the heatwave may raise temperatures between 40°C to 45°C in the in various countries with sustained high temperatures and uncharacteristically hot nights.

Humans are urged to avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, particularly during the afternoon hours.

They are asked to as much as possible, remain well hydrated, limit strenuous outdoor activities during peak heat. Protect vulnerable groups (children, the elderly, and pregnant women) and allow them to remain in cool or well-ventilated spaces.

There is greater call to provide adequate shade and drinking water for livestock. Farmers, across the region are tasked to take extra precautions to protect vulnerable crops and animals from heat stress.

Protect vulnerable groups (children, the elderly, and pregnant women) in cool or well-ventilated spaces, the meteorological agency says.

The heatwave, experts argue is El Niño induced which heavily drives these severe heatwaves and below-normal rainfall patterns across central and southern SADC.

United Nations Secretary General António Guterres has repeatedly warned of ‘climate chaos’ arguing that “Climate chaos is rewriting the rules of weather”

Noting the intensifying heat, prolonged droughts, rising seas and increasingly frequent extreme events, the UN chief stressed that “accurate, trusted science is our first line of defence,” underscoring the critical role of global observation systems and early warning services in saving lives.

Speaking recently during the World Meteorological Day, warned of sustained global warming in Africa and beyond spurred by record greenhouse gas levels.

Earlier the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) had reported that concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have reached all-time highs, continuing to drive record temperatures across land and ocean with long-lasting consequences for humanity.

Following the hottest decade on record, the UN’s weather agency said the planet’s climate is now “more out of balance than at any time in observed history.”

“Between 2015 and 2025, we experienced the hottest 11 years on record,” said Ko Barrett, WMO Deputy Executive Secretary.

Global temperatures in 2025, she disclosed were around 1.43°C above the 1850–1900 baseline, she noted, alongside record-breaking ocean heat levels — a clear indication of the growing accumulation of energy within the Earth system.

Guterres stressed the need to accelerate the Early Warnings for All initiative so that, by 2027, every person on Earth is protected by life-saving alerts.

“By observing today, we can protect tomorrow — for people, for planet, for prosperity, and for generations to come,” he said.