Sahara’s unusual floods raise concerns over future storm frequency

Record rainfall has transformed the arid landscape of the Sahara desert by flooding the dunes: if on the one hand this will be beneficial for drought, on the other it could aggravate the danger of extreme phenomena

Recently, there was an incredible act of weather in the Sahara Desert, where torrential rains transformed arid landscapes in southeastern Morocco. The rainfall that occurred over a period of two days equaled the average precipitation the area would witness in a year, thereby creating stunning blue lagoons amidst palm trees and sand dunes.

This area is one of the driest parts of Earth’s landmass, and during late summer, it rarely receives such intensities of rainfall. The government of Morocco reported that exceptional rainfalls have been recorded in places like Tata and Tagounite, where over four inches (100 mm) of rain were recorded in a day. According to Houssine Youabeb, a meteorologist from Morocco’s Directorate General of Meteorology, such events have not been observed in 30 to 50 years.

Drought has gripped Morocco hard in the past half-dozen years, forcing farmers and towns to ration water and then abandon parched fields. This year’s heavy rainfall could have a significant impact on underground water supplies, crucial to the water resources of local communities.

Increased storm frequency threatens to compromise the region’s climate

By September, the region’s reservoirs had reached levels never before seen, but it’s too early to suggest that these rains signal a solution to long-term drought challenges. The consequences, however, are not all positive in nature.

These are the kinds of rains that can be characterized as extratropical storms, and might have more far-reaching implications with respect to the region’s climate. Greater atmospheric moisture can mean higher evaporation rates, possibly increasing the chances for more storms in this usually dry area.

While the crops might have benefited from this sudden deluge of water, heavy rains have in some cases caused immense destruction, particularly in poorer villages and towns. Flooding has killed at least 20 people in Morocco and Algeria.

Extreme wweather patterns magnified by climate change

This unusual weather incident has joined the long list of indicators of how global warming is affecting general weather patterns and thus is creating more frequent and more extreme weather conditions. Scientists are also studying how global warming might affect atmospheric patterns that would, in turn, increase climate variability over the Sahara and make life even more challenging for its inhabitants.