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Tuesday, Mar 17, 2026
Outside the box.
Historic Floods Reshape Sahara Desert Landscape
In September, southeastern Morocco witnessed severe floods in the Sahara Desert after torrential rains exceeded the yearly average, marking the first such event in 50 years. Over 100mm of rain fell in 24 hours in Tagounite, refilling Lake Iriqui, which had been dry for decades. This phenomenon, caused by an extratropical storm, highlights climate change's increasing role in extreme weather patterns.
In a rare weather phenomenon, parts of the Sahara Desert in southeastern Morocco experienced severe flooding due to two days of intense torrential rain in September.
The village of Tagounite, located 450km south of the capital Rabat, recorded over 100mm of rain in just 24 hours, far exceeding the region's annual average rainfall.
This deluge refilled Lake Iriqui, a dry lake bed between Zagora and Tata that had been arid for half a century, as shown in satellite images captured by NASA.
Moroccan meteorological official Houssine Youabeb noted that such rainfall had not been seen in the region for 30 to 50 years and described the event as an extratropical storm, highlighting potential long-term climate impacts.
The floods resulted in 18 casualties and notably affected areas already recovering from a previous earthquake.
The desert, spanning over 9 million square kilometers across North, Central, and West Africa, is facing increased risks of extreme weather events due to global warming.
Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organisation, emphasized that rising temperatures contribute to a more erratic hydrological cycle, increasing the frequency of severe weather events like this in the Sahara.
The village of Tagounite, located 450km south of the capital Rabat, recorded over 100mm of rain in just 24 hours, far exceeding the region's annual average rainfall.
This deluge refilled Lake Iriqui, a dry lake bed between Zagora and Tata that had been arid for half a century, as shown in satellite images captured by NASA.
Moroccan meteorological official Houssine Youabeb noted that such rainfall had not been seen in the region for 30 to 50 years and described the event as an extratropical storm, highlighting potential long-term climate impacts.
The floods resulted in 18 casualties and notably affected areas already recovering from a previous earthquake.
The desert, spanning over 9 million square kilometers across North, Central, and West Africa, is facing increased risks of extreme weather events due to global warming.
Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organisation, emphasized that rising temperatures contribute to a more erratic hydrological cycle, increasing the frequency of severe weather events like this in the Sahara.
