Torrential rains and flash floods in Morocco

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Current temperatures in Morocco, especially in mountainous areas, are currently dropping to minus ten degrees Celsius, and up to seventy centimeters of snow lie on the ridges of the highest mountains of the Atlas Mountains. The unusually low temperatures are accompanied by torrential rains, which have caused flash floods in some areas. Authorities record that in the city of Safi, water has flooded seventy houses and swept away several vehicles.

The heavy rains also forced the closure of schools for three days. In addition to Safi, the cities of Tinghir and Tetouan in the north of the country were also affected. Safi is located 320 kilometers from the capital and is a major center for the fishing and mining industries. The city is home to three hundred thousand inhabitants and is also home to a large phosphate processing plant.

It is certain that rapid climate change has made the weather less predictable in Morocco. North Africa has been plagued by drought for years, and the soil has hardened, making mountains, deserts and plains more prone to flooding. Last year, floods in Morocco and Algeria claimed twenty lives.

The floods came as 22 people died in the city of Fez when two buildings collapsed. While Morocco has invested in disaster risk initiatives, local governments often fail to comply with building codes, and some cities even lack drainage systems.

This year's floods caught many residents by surprise as they tried to escape the water into their shops in the affected commercial district. The water then rose to a height of four meters, completely inundating the shops.

Moroccan authorities have already launched an investigation into the cause of the flooding. The city of Safi received just 46 millimeters of rain in 24 hours, which Moroccan meteorologists say is normal for the region. Authorities believe that infrastructure problems may have contributed to the flooding.

Source: APNews, Editorial Weathersunshine.com