Unusually heavy rainfall has resulted in the Sahara Desert, known for its arid climate, being flooded. According to locals, such a phenomenon has not been observed here for the past 30-50 years, “MIR 24” reports with reference to The Independent.
According to the Moroccan government, some regions received a year's worth of rain in two days. The town of Tagounit recorded more than 100 mm of rain in one day. NASA satellites recorded water filling Lake Iriki, which had been dry for half a century.
Meteorologists classify these precipitation events as extratropical storms, which can permanently change the climate regime of the region. Increased humidity in the air can lead to more intense evaporation and, as a result, to an increase in the number of storms in the future.
For Morocco, which has suffered from drought for the past six years, heavy rainfall could be a boon by replenishing groundwater supplies. The region's reservoirs filled at a record rate in September. However, the long-term impact of this rainfall on the drought is still unclear.
Unfortunately, the disaster also had tragic consequences: about 20 people died in Morocco and Algeria, and farmers suffered significant losses due to damaged crops.