Sahara Desert floods: Part of the Sahara Desert in north African country of Morocco, which is usually extremely dry, is witnessing dramatic weather developments and has got flooded for the first time in 50 years. According to officials from Morocco's meteorological agency, the village of Tagounite received more than its yearly average of rainfall in just 24-hours. The floods have mainly hit Morocco's southeastern regions.
"It's been 30 to 50 years since we've had this much rain in such a short space of time," said an official as quoted by the Associate Press (AP).
The freak phenomenon is being termed as extratropical storm and is being viewed as an effect of climate change. The rains have the potential to impact the region's climate in years to come.
The country is witnessing flooding since last month and has resulted in 18 deaths, as per media reports.
The Sahara Desert is spred over 9 million square kilometre particularly in north and central parts of the African continent. As countries outside these region battle the threat of expansion of desert into their borders, the freak rains and flooding have added a fresh element in climate challenges in the continent.
"As a result of rising temperatures, the hydrological cycle has accelerated. It has also become more erratic and unpredictable, and we are facing growing problems of either too much or too little water. A warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, which is conducive to heavy rainfall. More rapid evaporation and drying of soils worsen drought conditions." Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organisation, has said.
