Moroccan authorities have confirmed that four people have died, and 14 others are missing following severe flooding caused by a climate phenomenon in southern Morocco. Heavy rains that began on Friday in the Tata province, approximately 740 kilometers south of Rabat, triggered the devastating floods.
Local officials have reported that eight houses were swept away in the rural Tamanart area, and they fear the death toll could rise as rescue efforts continue.
The floods were triggered by an unusually unstable tropical air mass, leading to violent thunderstorms and significant rainfall in regions typically known for their arid conditions. Ouarzazate, one of the affected regions, recorded 47 millimeters of rainfall in just three hours, while Tagounite, near the Algerian border, received 170 millimeters of rain.
Morocco, which has been suffering from a prolonged drought for the past six years, is now facing the dual challenge of managing the sudden and intense rainfall that has led to widespread flooding. The country’s dam levels had dropped to less than 28 percent of their capacity by the end of August.
The floods have also impacted neighboring Algeria, where authorities reported one death and another person missing in the southern regions of Illizi and Bechar.
As Morocco grapples with the aftermath of the flooding, the combination of heavy rains and strong winds, reaching up to 100 kilometers per hour, has caused further disruptions. In Marrakesh, the unusual weather created an optical phenomenon that turned the sky an eerie orange hue.