Lakes in the desert Heavy rainfall in the Sahara
In one of the driest regions in the world, it is raining more than it has for decades. However, the rainfall does not only bring relief.
10.10.2024, 00:00
10.10.2024, 07:05
dpa
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- In south-eastern Morocco, it has rained more than it has for several decades.
- "It's been 30 to 50 years since we've had so much rain in such a short space of time," said Houssine Youabeb from the Moroccan General Directorate of Meteorology.
- The region is one of the driest areas in the world and rarely experiences rain in late summer.
Blue lagoons in the Sahara: more rain has fallen in the desert in south-eastern Morocco than at any time in decades. The Moroccan government announced that rainfall had exceeded the annual average in several areas on two days in September.
The region is one of the driest areas in the world and rarely experiences rain in late summer.
Tourists marvel at rare spectacle
The towns of Tate and Tagounite, south of the capital Rabat, benefited from last month's rainfall, with an average of less than 250 liters per square meter per year. In Tagounite, more than 100 liters of rain per square meter fell within 24 hours. The water made its way through the sand of the Sahara and formed entire lakes. Tourists and residents of the desert villages alike marveled at the spectacle.
"It's been 30 to 50 years since we've had so much rain in such a short space of time," said Houssine Youabeb from the Moroccan General Directorate of Meteorology. Such rainfall, which meteorologists refer to as an extratropical storm, could change the course of the weather in the region in the coming months and years because the air retains more moisture, leading to more evaporation and more storms, he explained.
20 dead in Morocco and Algeria
Large parts of Morocco have recently experienced six consecutive years of drought. Farmers have already been forced to leave their fields fallow and municipalities have rationed water. The abundant rainfall will probably help to replenish the large groundwater reservoirs under the desert, which are needed to supply people with water.
The region's reservoirs filled up at record speed in September. Nasa satellites showed that Lake Iriqui, which had been dry for 50 years, was also carrying water again.
However, the rains did not only bring relief. The weather cost the lives of more than 20 people in Morocco and Algeria, and farmers reported crop failures. The government provided financial aid for those affected, including in some of the areas that were shaken by an earthquake last year.