Two days of heavy rains in southeastern Morocco have caused severe flooding in parts of the Sahara desert. Such flash floods are rare in desert areas.
Officials at the Moroccan Meteorological Department said the village of Tiagounite, 450 kilometers from the capital Rabat, recorded 100 millimeters of rain in one day last September.
A NASA satellite image showed that Lake Iriqui, between Zagora and Tata areas, which had been dry for more than 50 years, was filled with water.
"I have not seen so much rain in such a short period of time in the last 30 to 50 years," said Hussein Yabeb, an official of the Moroccan Meteorological Department.
According to a report by The Guardian, 18 people lost their lives in floods in Morocco last month. In the previous year, people have not yet overcome the shock of the massive earthquake there. Dammed reservoirs in Morocco were almost completely filled due to heavy rains last September.
The Sahara desert covers an area of 9 million square kilometers in North, Central and West Africa. Global warming has increased the risk of extreme weather events. Scientists have warned that in the future, things like massive storms and floods may become regular in this area.
Celeste Saulo, secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organization, said rising temperatures have accelerated the hydrological cycle. It has become more uncertain and unpredictable. In this we are faced with the problem of more or less rain.
A warm atmosphere holds more moisture, which is conducive to heavy rainfall. Rapid evaporation and drying of the soil worsen the drought situation.
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