An unusual rainfall has transformed areas of the Sahara Desert into blue lagoons, with water gathering around palm trees and sand dunes on Wednesday, October 9.
Southeastern Morocco, known as one of the driest regions on the planet, received more rain in just two days last September than it typically does in an entire year.
The Moroccan government noted that several areas, including Tata, Morocco, experienced rainfall that surpassed annual averages, with Tata being particularly affected.
In Tagounite, a village located around 450 kilometers south of Rabat, Morocco, over 100 millimeters of rain fell within just 24 hours.
The flooding produced unusual scenes of water streaming through desert sands, even filling Lake Iriqui, a dry lake bed that hadn’t held water in 50 years.
Tourists and locals navigated the flooded desert in 4 x 4 vehicles.
“It’s been 30 to 50 years since we’ve had this much rain in such a short space of time,” said Houssine Youabeb of Morocco’s General Directorate of Meteorology.
Meteorologists indicated that this type of rainfall, resulting from an extratropical storm, could lead to more frequent storms in the area.
Six years of drought in Morocco have led to water shortages, but this rainfall may help restore groundwater levels and refill reservoirs.
While the rain brought some relief, the flooding resulted in over 20 fatalities in Morocco and Algeria and damaged farmers’ crops, prompting the government to provide emergency aid.
Comments