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Unusual heavy rains hit the Sahara Desert in 2024, with scenes of flash floods transforming its typical sandy landscape. Scientists link these conditions to climate change, impacting how local communities and wildlife are able to cope with these rare weather events. Indeed, there is a growing need for places like the Sahara to build resilience in order to adapt to a changing climate.Intrigued? Learn more about the bizarre flooding of the Sahara by clicking through this gallery.
The Sahara Desert is the largest hot desert in the world, located throughout North Africa.
The Sahara covers an area of approximately 9.2 million square kilometers, a land mass larger than the continental United States.
Spanning across 11 countries, the desert is characterized by its landscapes, variety of landforms, and culture of human settlement.
In addition to minerals like phosphate and gold, the Sahara holds an abundance of natural resources, including oil and natural gas.
The desert has always experienced extreme temperature differences. Daytime temperatures can reach above 50°C (122°F), while evening temperatures in winter months can go below freezing.
The Sahara does experience a maximum of a few inches of rain annually.
However, in September 2024 heavy rainfall fell over the northwestern Sahara, producing up to eight inches (20 cm) of rain in some parts.
Images of large lakes in sand dunes replaced the typical dry palm trees and flora that is iconic to the region.
Scientists argue that these rare storms can be viewed as part of shifting weather patterns related to climate change.
Some researchers argue that shifts in the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) may be causing monsoon systems to push further north than usual.
This resulted in what’s called an extratropical cyclone. Cyclones describe big revolving weather systems. An extratropical cyclone means that the cyclone occurs outside a tropical zone, meaning more than 30 degrees from the equator.
These extratropical cyclones can occur over sea or land. The one that resulted in heavy rainfall in the Sahara began forming over the Atlantic Ocean while also gaining water from equatorial regions on the African continent.
The more moisture and evaporation that stays in the air, the more likely storms like that which occurred in the Sahara are going to have increased frequency.
In addition, rising temperatures in the Atlantic and Mediterranean could also be pushing these intense storms.
More frequent and intense weather patterns have been identified in several regions, whether unpredictable storms or periods of extreme drought.
What ushered in this period of intense rainfall to the desert is likely tied to changes in atmosphere connected to a rise in global temperatures.
More moisture can be found in air that’s warmer, which can provoke higher rates of rainfall.
As temperatures continue to rise in these areas, heavy rainfall could become a permanent fixture.
Water flowing through the Sahara occurred after heavier rainfall caused a series of flash floods.
Lakes in low-lying areas emerged suddenly, giving life to usually dormant plants.
While the dry air will evaporate most of the water, and the Sahara will return to its usual state, storms pose significant risk to the communities and life-forms living in the Sahara.
Roads and small villages throughout the desert aren’t built to handle flash floods, where life is already fragile.
Infrastructure, local wildlife, and the daily life of inhabitants can be seriously impacted by drastic weather changes.
While parts of Morocco have faced six years of drought and somehow needed greater rainfall, the amount that it received at once caused serious consequences.
The two days of September rainfall surpassed yearly averages in several areas. Tagounite, which experiences less than 10 inches (25 cm) of rain yearly, recorded more than 3.9 inches (9.6 cm) in just 24 hours.
In regions still recovering from the earthquake that shook Morocco last year, September's storm tragically claimed the lives of 18 people due to the unprecedented flooding.
Farmers were left with damaged harvests and emergency relief was needed in a number of areas, in particular those still recovering from other natural disasters.
The impact doesn’t just stop at the Sahara and its neighbors. Atlantic hurricane season could interfere with the formation of tropical storms.
The long-term effects of climate change may impact all kinds of atmospheric circulation patterns, which can provoke more frequent and intense storms.
Sources: (CNN) (The Economist) (IFLScience) (The Guardian) (CBS News)
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Unusual heavy rains hit the Sahara Desert in 2024, with scenes of flash floods transforming its typical sandy landscape. Scientists link these conditions to climate change, impacting how local communities and wildlife are able to cope with these rare weather events. Indeed, there is a growing need for places like the Sahara to build resilience in order to adapt to a changing climate.Intrigued? Learn more about the bizarre flooding of the Sahara by clicking through this gallery.