IN PICTURES: Sahara Desert transformed after rare rains flood dry landscape
An oasis is reflected in a lake caused by heavy rainfall in the desert town of Merzouga, near Rachidia, southeastern Morocco [AP Photo]
A rare bout of heavy rainfall transformed parts of the Sahara Desert into stunning landscapes, with blue lagoons forming amid the palm trees and sand dunes in southeastern Morocco.
Southeastern Morocco's desert is among the most arid places in the world and rarely experiences rain in late summer. [AP Photo]
Six consecutive years of drought have posed challenges for much of Morocco, forcing farmers to leave fields fallow and cities and villages to ration water consumption. [AP Photo]
In the desert town of Merzouga, located near Rachidia, water gushed through arid lands, filling up ancient lakebeds that had been dry for decades. The storms, which occurred over two days in September, exceeded annual rainfall averages in several areas, with more than 100mm (3.9 inches) recorded in Tagounite, about 450km south of Rabat.
A view of lakes caused by heavy rainfall between sand dunes in the desert town of Merzouga, near Rachidia, southeastern Morocco, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. (AP Photo)
A vehicle transports tourists on sand dunes next to a lake caused by heavy rainfall in the desert town of Merzouga, near Rachidia, southeastern Morocco, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. (AP Photo)
Houssine Youabeb from Morocco’s General Directorate of Meteorology said, “It’s been 30 to 50 years since we’ve had this much rain in such a short space of time.”
Palm trees are reflected in a lake caused by heavy rainfall in the desert town of Merzouga, near Rachidia, southeastern Morocco, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. (AP Photo)
Palm trees are flooded in a lake caused by heavy rainfall in the desert town of Merzouga, near Rachidia, southeastern Morocco, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. (AP Photo)
The rainstorms, attributed to an extratropical storm, brought both relief and destruction. While the water is expected to replenish groundwater reserves vital for desert communities, it also left over 20 dead in Morocco and Algeria and damaged crops, prompting emergency aid measures.
An oasis is reflected in a lake caused by heavy rainfall in the desert town of Merzouga, near Rachidia, southeastern Morocco, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. (AP Photo)