Rivers and Lagoons Suddenly Appear in the Barren Sahara Desert
NEW MEXICO - The arid Sahara Desert in southeastern Morocco is one of the driest places on earth and rarely sees rain in late summer, Typically, deserts receive less than 250 millimeters of rainfall per year. However, recent storms have brought more rain to the desert than in decades past. As a result, rivers and lagoons emerged, changing the geography of the Sahara Desert, which is one of the driest places in the world.
The Moroccan government said two days of rainfall last month were above the average annual rainfall in several desert areas including Tata. "We have experienced situations like this (heavy rain) in a short time but this happened more than 50 years ago," said Communications Manager of the Moroccan Meteorological Department, Houssine Youabeb. Meanwhile, in Tagounite Village, which is located around 451 kilometers south of Rabat, rainfall of more than 100 millimeters was recorded in 24 hours. Morocco has previously experienced drought for six consecutive years.
This is not the first time this unique phenomenon has occurred, as reported by the Daily Mail, snow formed in the Sahara Desert in January 2022. This photo of snow in the Sahara Desert was captured by photographer Karim Bouchetata in the city of Ain Sefra in northwestern Algeria.
At that time, mercury levels in Algeria fell to -2 degrees Celsius. The ice creates patterns in the sand after the area sees a sprinkling of falling snow.
This dusting of snow is the fifth time in the last 42 years. Previous events occurred in 1979, 2016, 2018, and 2021. Ain Sefra itself is known as The Gateway to the Desert which is located at 3,000 feet above sea level and surrounded by the Atlas Mountains.
Not only that, who would have thought that the desert, which is synonymous with dry, arid and hot places, would have dense forests in it? According to a study published in the journal Science Advances, the Sahara desert experienced a wet period about 8,000 years ago. This shows that the Sahara Desert was a fertile and green area in ancient times.
Researchers at the University of Arizona discovered a 6,000-year rainfall pattern in the Sahara. Where the Sahara Desert once had 10 times more rainfall than today.
Floods in the Sahara Desert Fill Lakes That Have Been Dry for Half a Century
Water flooded the Sahara Desert and filled lakes that had been dry for half a century. Photo: AP via New York Post
The heavy rain that fell on Morocco, which lasted only two days, was equivalent to a year's rainfall. As a result, water flooded the Sahara Desert and filled lakes that had been dry for half a century. The North African government said the flooding in September this year was the worst in decades, especially in the village of Rabat in the southeast, where 10 cm fell in one day. Lake Iriqui, a lake bed between Zagora and Tata that has been dry for 50 years, fills with rainfall in this image from a NASA satellite. The Merzouga region also received heavy rain.
Since there is usually less than 25 cm of rainfall there each year, people speed through puddles and oasis areas in all-terrain vehicles. This storm comes after six consecutive years of drought.
"It's been 30 to 50 years since we've had this much rain in such a short time," said Houssine Youabeb, who works at Morocco's Directorate General of Meteorology, as quoted by the New York Post.
He added that the rain may have a long-term effect on the country's weather, due to increased humidity in the air. Another impact from the September storm caused the reservoir to refill at an unprecedented rate and brought additional water sources to local residents.
As for efforts to tackle the drought, it is too early to say what impact the recent rains will have. The storm claimed 20 lives between Morocco and neighboring Algeria and damaged crop production.
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