A rare deluge of rainfall has transformed the arid landscape of the Sahara Desert in southeastern Morocco, creating blue lagoons amid the palm trees and sand dunes. This unexpected event has provided some of the driest regions with more water than they have seen in decades.
The southeastern Moroccan desert, one of the most parched areas on the planet, seldom experiences rain during late summer. However, in an extraordinary turn of events, the desert town of Merzouga, near Rachidia, witnessed floods caused by heavy rainfall on October 2, 2024. The Moroccan government reported that two days of torrential rain in September surpassed the yearly averages in several areas, including Tata, which usually receives less than 250 millimeters (10 inches) of rainfall annually. In Tagounite, a village approximately 450 kilometers (280 miles) south of the capital, Rabat, over 100 millimeters (3.9 inches) of rain was recorded within 24 hours.
This unprecedented rainfall has left behind striking scenes, with water gushing through Saharan sands, crumbling castles, and desert flora. NASA satellites captured images of water flowing into Lake Iriqui, a famous dry lake bed between Zagora and Tata that had remained parched for 50 years.
In desert communities popular with tourists, vehicles navigated through puddles, and locals watched the extraordinary spectacle in amazement. “It’s been 30 to 50 years since we’ve had this much rain in such a short space of time,” commented Houssine Youabeb of Morocco’s General Directorate of Meteorology. Meteorologists have classified this weather event as an extratropical storm, which they predict may alter the region’s climate in the coming months and years by increasing air moisture, causing more evaporation, and drawing more storms.
After six consecutive years of drought, Morocco has struggled with challenges such as fallow fields and water rationing in cities and villages. The recent bounty of rainfall is likely to recharge the large groundwater aquifers crucial for supplying water to desert communities. Throughout September, the region’s dammed reservoirs reported record refilling rates. However, the long-term impact of September’s rains on alleviating drought remains uncertain.
Despite the transformative effects of the rainfall, it has not come without consequences. The floods have caused over 20 fatalities in Morocco and Algeria, disrupted farmers’ harvests, and prompted the government to allocate emergency relief funds to the affected areas, including those already impacted by last year’s earthquake.