The Sahara desert, one of the hottest and dry places on earth recently got flooded in the region of Morocco.
The torrential rain poured down on the area on Wednesday, and left the landscape unrecognisable as lakes and rivulets of water formed among the sand dunes.
Morocco’s General Directorate of Meteorology told The Street Journal: “It has been 30 to 50 years since we have had this much rain in such a short space of time.”
Meteorologists reportedly anticipate that this downpour may lead to more frequent rain in the area.
The Sahara desert was proven to oscillate between hot and dry climate to a temperate, humid one filled with greenery. This ‘Green Sahara or North African Humid Period’ existed roughly around 6,000 to 11,000 years ago and in a cyclical nature is due to return.
Scientists say this process occurs once every 21,000 years. However, a user on X (formerly Twitter) commented that the recent flood is either a rare fluke or evidence that the process, accelerated by global warming, is happening at a faster rate.
“It looks like the end of times...It is one of the driest places on earth. It is so dry that it is expanding because things dry up around it. It is causing the desertification of Africa... Now it’s flooded? Enough rain to cause flooding in the Sahara is concerning,” she said.
The Sahara desert is flooded.
Something important to note is this region has transformative cycles of turning into a desert then turning into lush green forest.
That's normal.
However this flooding is several thousand years too early for a new cycle.
Fuck. pic.twitter.com/Xz9sEoujY6
IOL