Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Sahara Desert struck by largest deluge in decades, Water fills lake that had been dry for 50 years
End Time Headlines Ministry ^ | October 09, 2024 | Staff

Posted on 10/09/2024 8:37:13 PM PDT by Red Badger

A rare deluge of rainfall left blue lagoons of water amid the palm trees and sand dunes of the Sahara desert, nourishing some of its driest regions with more water than they had seen in decades.

Southeastern Morocco’s desert is among the most arid places on earth and rarely experiences rain in late summer.

The Moroccan government said two days of rainfall in September exceeded yearly averages in several areas that see less than 250 millimetres annually, including Tata, one of the areas hit hardest.

More than 100 millimetres of rain were recorded in Tagounite, a village about 280 miles south of the capital, Rabat, in a 24-hour period. The storms left striking images of water gushing through the Saharan sands dotted by castles and desert flora.

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

In desert communities frequented by tourists, 4x4s motored through the puddles and residents surveyed the scene in awe.

‘It’s been 30 to 50 years since we’ve had this much rain in such a short space of time,’ said Houssine Youabeb of Morocco’s General Directorate of Meteorology.

Such rains, which meteorologists are calling an extratropical storm, may change the course of the region’s weather in months and years to come as the air retains more moisture, causing more evaporation and drawing more storms, Youabeb said.

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

The bounty of rainfall will likely help refill the large groundwater aquifers beneath the desert that are relied upon to supply water in desert communities.

The region’s dammed reservoirs reported refilling at record rates throughout September.

However, it’s unclear how far September’s rains will go toward alleviating drought.

Water gushing through the sands and oases left more than 20 dead in Morocco and Algeria and damaged farmers’ harvests, forcing the government to allocate emergency relief funds, including in some areas affected by last year’s earthquake.

Last year, California’s notorious Death Valley was also given a makeover after an unprecedented day of rain turned America’s driest place into a stunning oasis.

The spectacular national park was shut to visitors in August as Hurricane Hilary dumped a year’s worth of rain onto the parched landscape, destroying roads and turning arid gullies into raging torrents.

Two months later, that 2.2 inches of rain has transformed the lethal landscape into an unrecognizable water world with wading birds foraging on tranquil lakes.


TOPICS: History; Outdoors; Travel; Weather
KEYWORDS: algeria; desert; lakeiriqui; morocco; rain; sahara; somethingfine; tata; weather; zagora
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-37 next last


1 posted on 10/09/2024 8:37:13 PM PDT by Red Badger
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

THE DESERT WILL BLOOM................


2 posted on 10/09/2024 8:37:52 PM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Trump’s fault!!


3 posted on 10/09/2024 8:39:36 PM PDT by coloradan (They're not the mainstream media, they're the gaslight media. It's what they do. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Isaiah 35:2 New International Version

Joy of the Redeemed

35 The desert and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the Lord,
the splendor of our God.


4 posted on 10/09/2024 8:39:47 PM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: coloradan

MORE INFO:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13940491/floods-sahara-desert-biggest-deluge-decades.html


5 posted on 10/09/2024 8:40:27 PM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Less than four inches does all that?


6 posted on 10/09/2024 8:44:23 PM PDT by Fungi
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Must be global warming. /S


7 posted on 10/09/2024 8:46:56 PM PDT by Mark17 (Retired USAF air traffic controller. Father of USAF pilot. Both bitten by the aviation bug)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Fungi

That’s more than they usually get in an entire year..............


8 posted on 10/09/2024 8:47:17 PM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Fungi
Less than four inches does all that?

Oddly it does. Their is little to no vegetation on the surface and associated organic matter to absorb the water. This is what always happens in the desert when it has short but great rainfall.

In our west in Arizona and Utah we have great canyons carved out in the desert due to this. It does not rain frequently but when it does it becomes a raging river and carves out those canyons. Note: Not Grand Canyon as this is a river basin that always has water flowing and carving out that magnificent canyon.

9 posted on 10/09/2024 8:51:49 PM PDT by cpdiii (cane cutter, deckhand, oilfield roughneck, drilling fluid tech, geologist, pilot, pharmacist ,MAGA)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Fungi
Less than four inches does all that?

Little over 2 inches did the same thing to Death Valley last year, saw it for myself.

10 posted on 10/09/2024 8:57:21 PM PDT by Inyo-Mono
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Wait, it’s been dry for 50 years? Soo, it has had water in it before. It’s almost like these things are cyclic or something!


11 posted on 10/09/2024 9:05:17 PM PDT by FrankRizzo890
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

At least it’s not a Red State.


12 posted on 10/09/2024 9:16:09 PM PDT by PLMerite ("They say that we were Cold Warriors. Yes, and a bloody good show, too. 😁 " - Robert Conquest )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Morocco, as do other desert countries, built a lot of low dams to trap flash floods from the rare rains.


13 posted on 10/09/2024 9:24:17 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://genius.com/Jackson-browne-something-fine-lyrics)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: cpdiii

When camping in the desert, put your campsite on high ground.


14 posted on 10/09/2024 9:42:08 PM PDT by Hebrews 11:6 (“It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.” Psalm 118:8)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Funny what happens when a volcano blows an extra >15% water vapor into the upper atmosphere...


15 posted on 10/09/2024 9:51:03 PM PDT by logi_cal869 (-cynicus the "concern troll" a/o 10/03/2018 /!i!! &@$%&*(@ -)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger
Water fills lake that had been dry for 50 years

Alternate headline:

Lake that had been dry for only 50 years restored by a single recent storm.

16 posted on 10/09/2024 11:56:36 PM PDT by William Tell
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Regards,

17 posted on 10/09/2024 11:59:48 PM PDT by alexander_busek (Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Fungi

8” (7.874016)


18 posted on 10/10/2024 12:10:40 AM PDT by mabarker1 ( (Congress- the opposite of PROGRESS!!! A fraud, a hypocrite, a liar. I'm a member of Congress!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the Sahara became the drain outlet for the earths excess, hurricane, typhoon, cyclone and deluge water?

I used to spend a LOT of time out in the Arizona, Nevada and California Deserts (some in NM, too).....they really shined after a few good heavy rains. Especially Arizona.


19 posted on 10/10/2024 12:15:36 AM PDT by Gaffer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

So. Could this be an example of the good things that climate change brings?...More CO2 is sequestered in the plants which will grow in the desert.
Then, the greener desert will be a tiny bit cooler, allowing more rain to falls,,,more plants, less atmospheric C02, more rain....a nice cycle...the paranoid climate alarmists should be ecstatic with JOY...


20 posted on 10/10/2024 12:59:36 AM PDT by Getready (Wisdom is more valuable than gold and harder to find.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-37 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson