For the first time in half a century, parts of the Sahara Desert have been flooded following an unprecedented downpour, transforming the arid landscape into blue lagoons, as reported by the Associated Press on Wednesday.
Southeastern Morocco, one of the driest regions on Earth, experienced more rain in just two days last September than it typically receives in an entire year. The Moroccan government reported that multiple areas, including Tata, were severely affected by the rainfall, which exceeded yearly averages.
In the village of Tagounite, located approximately 450 km south of the capital Rabat, over 100 millimeters of rain fell within a 24-hour period, resulting in the once-dry Lake Iriqui being filled with water for the first time in 50 years.
This rare phenomenon produced striking scenes of water flowing through the desert, pooling around palm trees and sand dunes. Tourists and locals in off-road vehicles took the opportunity to explore the flooded desert terrain.
Houssine Youabeb, of Morocco’s General Directorate of Meteorology, remarked, “It’s been 30 to 50 years since we’ve had this much rain in such a short space of time.”
The rainfall, attributed to an extratropical storm, could signal an increase in the frequency of similar storms in the region. Although the deluge helped replenish groundwater and refill reservoirs after six years of drought, it also claimed over 20 lives in Morocco and Algeria, and caused significant damage to farmers’ crops, leading the government to release emergency aid.
These extraordinary images of the flooded Sahara offer a striking contrast to its usual dry and barren landscape, with water reflecting palm trees and creating temporary lakes in one of the world’s most iconic deserts.
