Heavy rains flood the Sahara for the first time in 50 years

UNNreports, with reference to BILD. The small village of Merzouga in southeastern Morocco was particularly affected, where instead of the usual drought, lakes formed after heavy rains.

The Sahara, which usually receives little rainfall, faced abnormal rains in early September, with some areas receiving up to 99 litres of rainfall per square metre, well above the average annual norm of 45 litres.

The floods killed about 20 people in Morocco and Algeria, among them tourists from Canada and Peru. In addition to human casualties, the disaster caused severe damage to energy infrastructure and water supply systems, making life difficult for local residents.

We have not seen this much rainfall in such a short period of time in the last 30-50 years,

- said Hussine Youabeb, a spokesman for Morocco's General Meteorological Office.

The intense rainfall came as a surprise to a region that had previously suffered a prolonged drought. Experts now speculate that the rains could replenish groundwater supplies, helping local settlements overcome the water crisis.