Mali heatwave: Ice becomes a hot commodity as temperatures soar - BBC News

People are grappling with power cuts as well as extreme heat blamed on human-induced climate change.

1 day agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Courtesy of Fatouma YattaraImage caption, Fatouma Yattara says extreme temperatures are making life toughBy Priya SippyBBC NewsRecord-breaking heat means ice cubes now cost more than bread and milk in parts of Mali.

"I've come to buy ice because it's very hot now," says 15-year-old Fatouma Yattara as she visits her local vendor in the capital, Bamako.

With no working fridge due to prolonged power cuts, she resorts to using ice cubes to preserve food and keep cool during a heatwave which has seen temperatures soar to 48C.

It works to an extent, but price hikes are making life even harder. "In some places it's 100 francs CFA ($0.20; £0.16)" for a small bag, she says, "even 300, 500 - it's too expensive."

This makes ice more expensive than bread - a standard baguette normally costs about 250 CFA.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-68905041

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