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Rare rainfall transforms Sahara Desert, creating blue lagoons amid the sand dunes
The Sahara Desert has turned into a blue lagoon! It might sound unbelievable, but after a rarest of rare deluge of rainfall, the arid landscape of the Sahara Desert has transformed, creating blue lagoons amid the palm trees and sand dunes of southeastern Morocco.Reports add that this unexpected weather phenomenon has provided much-needed relief to some of the most drought-stricken regions, and delivered more water than many communities have seen in decades.
Southeastern Morocco is known for its extreme aridity and typically sees little to no rainfall at all during the late summer months. However, recent weather patterns have not only brought relief, but has also brought significant change. According to Houssine Youabeb, a meteorologist with Morocco's General Directorate of Meteorology. “It’s been 30 to 50 years since we’ve had this much rain in such a short space of time." The extratropical storm responsible for the phenomena is thought to have the potential to change the climate of the area in the coming months and years by retaining more moisture, which would result in more frequent storms.
Morocco has witnessed a severe drought for the past six years, the reason why the country has been facing enormous challenges in terms of water supply and agriculture. Due to this situation, many farmers have opted to keep their farms fallow, as they could no longer struggle to grow their crops. Not only this, people are suffering in both rural and urban areas due to the restrictions on water use, which has made matters worse for the people living there.
However, a lot of recent rain is expected to have a significant role in recharging groundwater aquifers, which are vital water sources for those residing in arid areas. According to reports, the region's dammed reservoirs have been experiencing record rates of refilling since the rains began in September.
Source: Times of India
