"First Time in 50 Years"... A Lake Formed Due to Flooding in the Sahara Desert

18 Dead in Southeast Morocco Due to Heavy Rain
"Another Temperate Storm Expected... May Change Weather Conditions"

Heavy rain poured down in the Sahara Desert, the driest region in the world, causing flooding. This is the first time in 50 years that flooding has occurred here.

Heavy rain in the southeastern desert of Morocco created puddles between sand dunes.
[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

On the 12th (local time), British daily The Guardian and other foreign media reported that heavy rain exceeding the average annual rainfall fell over two days last month in the southeastern region of Morocco in North Africa, causing floods that resulted in 18 deaths. Due to continuous rainfall throughout September, the water levels in dams in the southeastern region rose at a record pace. The Moroccan Meteorological Agency reported that in Tagounite village, near the Algerian border about 450 km south of the capital Rabat, more than 100 mm of rain fell within 24 hours.

According to satellite images from NASA, the heavy rain at the time filled Lake Iriki, located in the small towns of Zagora and Tata Saa. This lake, known for being a temporary wetland, had been dry for the past 50 years.

Hussain Youabeb, an official from the Moroccan Meteorological Agency, said, "Such a large amount of rain concentrated in such a short time and space has only happened once every 30 to 50 years," adding, "Meteorologists call this kind of heavy rain a temperate storm, and it could change the weather conditions of this region for months or years to come."

Date palms are submerged in water due to heavy rain in a small town near Rachidia in southeastern Morocco.
[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The Sahara Desert, spanning 12 countries in northern, central, and western Africa, covers a total area of 9.4 million km², making it the largest desert in the world. In this region, extreme droughts have repeatedly occurred over the past few years due to global warming, and scientists have predicted that abnormal phenomena like this storm could occur in the Sahara Desert.

Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), recently explained, "Due to warming, not only has the water cycle accelerated, but it has also become more irregular and unpredictable," adding, "We are facing problems of either too much or too little water."