A rare rain in the Sahara | Weather News

A rare deluge of rain left blue water lagoons among the palm trees and sand dunes of the Sahara, providing some of the most drought-stricken regions with more water than many had seen in decades.

The desert in southeastern Morocco is one of the driest places in the world and it rarely rains in late summer.

The Moroccan government said rainfall on two days in September was above the annual average in several areas that average less than 250 millimeters (10 inches) per year, including Tata, one of the worst-hit areas. More than 100 mm (3.9 inches) was recorded in 24 hours in Tagounite, a village about 450 kilometers (280 miles) south of the capital Rabat.

The storms left impressive images of abundant water flowing through the sands of the Sahara between castles and desert flora.

“It has been 30 to 50 years since we had so much rain in such a short period of time,” said Houssine Youabeb of Morocco’s General Directorate of Meteorology.

Such rains, which meteorologists call an extratropical storm, could actually change the trajectory of the region's weather in the coming months and years as the air retains more moisture, leading to more evaporation and more storms, Youabeb said.

Six consecutive years of drought have posed challenges for much of Morocco, forcing farmers to leave their fields fallow and forcing towns and villages to ration water use.

The abundance of precipitation will likely help recharge the large aquifers that lie beneath the desert and are necessary for water supplies in desert communities. The region's impounded reservoirs reported record recharge levels throughout September. However, it is unclear to what extent September rains will help alleviate the drought.

The sudden torrents of water rushing through the sands and oases killed more than 20 people in Morocco and Algeria and damaged farmers' crops, forcing the government to provide emergency aid, including in some areas affected by last year's earthquake.

NASA satellites showed water rushing in and filling Lake Iriqui, a famous lake bed between Zagora and Tata that had been dry for 50 years.