Malawi to roast in 42C heatwave as experts warn lives could be at risk

Malawi is set to swelter under a brutal heatwave this week, with temperatures predicted to soar to a scorching 42C in some areas, prompting urgent health warnings from authorities.

The Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services (MET) says the intense heat is expected to grip much of the Southern Region between 18 and 23 October 2026, driven by a persistent mass of warm easterly air hanging over the country.

Forecasters warn that some of the country’s hottest districts, including Nsanje, Chikwawa, Mwanza, Neno, Blantyre, Chiradzulu, Thyolo, Mulanje, Phalombe, Zomba, Machinga and Balaka, could bear the full force of the blistering conditions. Southern parts of Mangochi are also expected to be severely affected.

Weather maps released by MET show temperatures climbing to a punishing 42C in the worst-hit areas.

Even regions classified as facing only “minimal” heatwave conditions, including parts of the North, Centre and central lakeshore, are forecast to endure temperatures ranging between 32C and 35C.

The department has urged residents to take precautions, particularly for vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women and people living with chronic illnesses.

Officials advised keeping at-risk individuals in cool, shaded and well-ventilated places, while warning that symptoms including dizziness, severe headaches and extreme weakness should not be ignored.

But public health experts say staying out of the heat is simply not an option for many Malawians.

Professor Adamson Muula, a public health specialist at the Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, warned that thousands of people who depend on outdoor work for their livelihoods cannot afford to stop working, even when temperatures become dangerously high.

He also highlighted the shortage of public drinking-water facilities in towns and cities, arguing that more communal taps should be installed in busy public spaces such as markets to help people stay hydrated during periods of extreme heat.

With temperatures set to remain stubbornly high for days, health officials are urging the public to drink plenty of water, avoid unnecessary exposure to the sun and check on vulnerable family members as Malawi faces one of its most intense heat spells of the year.