Part of the Sahara was hit by floods

14.10.2024

An unusual event recently occurred in one of the driest places in the world. Part of the Sahara was hit by heavy rainfall which caused floods and lakes began to form between the dunes. According to satellite data up to two hundred millimeters of rain fell in some parts of the Sahara in the region of Morocco.

Photo:Pixabay

It is not unusual for the Sahara to rain but it usually only falls a few centimeters a year. Over two days in September storms that were part of a low pressure system brought heavy rainfall to southeastern Morocco.

Eighty millimeters of rain fell in two days in the desert city of Errachidia in southeastern Morocco. This is more than four times the normal rainfall for an entire month and equals more than half a year's worth for the area.

Employees of the Moroccan Meteorological Agency confirm that the last time so much rain fell in such a short period of time in the area was thirty to fifty years ago. Heavy rainfall has created a watery landscape among palm trees and dunes. Near the city of Merzouga the floods even created lakes among the dunes.

Morocco's lakes are usually dry but as a result of heavy rainfall they have been replenished. These are mainly lakes in the Iriqui National Park. At the same time dozens of new lakes were formed here which can be seen from NASA satellite images.

Most of the rainfall in the Sahara fell in sparsely populated areas but some of the storms also hit villages. During September twelve people died as a result of flooding in desert areas. The Sahara is the largest non-polar desert in the world covering an area of ​​9.2 million square kilometers.

Satellite images of the Sahara in September showed huge swathes of green carpet created by storms moving further north than usual. This phenomenon is linked to human-caused climate change according to many studies. Research suggests that the Sahara can expect more extreme rainfall events in the future as fossil fuel pollution continues to heat the planet and disrupt the water cycle.

Source:CNN/Editorial