Rainstorm and Strong Winds in Morocco: The Causes Revealed
Parts of Morocco were hit by heavy downpours on Saturday, accompanied by hail and impressive gusts of wind. According to forecasts from the General Directorate of Meteorology (DGM), these conditions are expected to continue until Sunday, with a red alert issued for some areas in the south and east of the country.
An exceptional meteorological phenomenon
Houcine Youaabed, head of communication at the DGM, explained that these bad weather conditions were linked to an exceptional meteorological situation. Since Friday, a very unstable tropical air mass has strongly influenced the southern and southeastern regions of Morocco as well as the mountainous areas of the Atlas.
These humid air masses, coming from tropical regions, met cold air masses coming from the north, causing the formation of unstable and violent clouds. This phenomenon generated heavy thunderstorms, causing floods in several regions of the south-east of the country and the east of the Atlas.
Record rainfall
The rainfall recorded since Friday has been impressive. In Ouarzazate, more than 47 mm of rain fell in less than three hours, while in Tagounite, in the Zagora region, there was a cumulative total of 170 mm in 24 hours. Other localities, such as Erfoud and Tata, also recorded significant accumulations, exceeding 70 mm in some areas.
In addition to the heavy rains, strong winds swept through several regions, reaching impressive speeds, including in Ouarzazate (100 km/h), Marrakech (76 km/h) and Midelt (72 km/h). These winds also raised significant amounts of dust, creating sandstorms that gave the sky an orange hue, a phenomenon due to the diffusion of light by suspended dust particles.
Forecast for the coming days
The weather forecast for this Sunday indicates that unstable clouds will continue to generate moderate to heavy thunderstorms, mainly in the Atlas Mountains, the southeast and the south of the Eastern region. The southern coasts are also expected to experience sustained wind gusts.
On Monday, a gradual decrease in instability is expected, with scattered showers over the southeastern and far southern regions. Daytime temperatures are expected to increase slightly across the country, but cloud and fog formations could persist on the northern and central Atlantic coasts.
Tuesday under the clouds
For Tuesday, thunderstorms will be limited to the southern provinces, while the sky will be partly overcast in the southeast and southern eastern region. Daytime temperatures will see a slight drop in most parts of the country, heralding a respite from the violent weather episodes this weekend.
Morocco is currently experiencing a period of exceptional climatic conditions, marked by heavy rainfall, strong winds and sandstorms, a rare phenomenon for this time of year.
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