Severe Thunderstorms Hit Morocco and Algeria, Causing Fatalities and Destruction

At least 4 ‌people have been ​killed, and 14 are ‌still missing, after severe ​thunderstorms caused by an “extraordinary” weather event ⁤in ⁣southeastern ‍Morocco, affecting dry desert areas‍ and also impacting ⁣Algeria,‍ where at least one person⁢ was killed.

According to Hossein Ubed, general officer of ‌the Meteorological Department, several⁤ regions in Morocco, mostly east of the ‌High‌ Atlas ‌Mountains, were “severely affected‌ by unstable tropical air due to the exceptional rise‌ of a ‍tropical front in the south of the country, which combined with other cold masses coming‍ from the north,‍ leading to the formation of‌ violent and unstable clouds.”

A source from local authorities in Tata Province, southeast of the Moroccan state,⁢ reported that “the initial toll is‌ 4 dead, and 14 people are still missing, as a result of the very strong thunderstorms⁤ that affected the region and neighboring areas.”

The flood washed away 8 ⁢houses⁢ in a rural area of the region, with the‍ concerned ⁣authorities working to break the isolation of the affected areas.

Search and Rescue Efforts

Citizens of Tata province demanded that a helicopter be dispatched to facilitate the search for those missing after heavy‌ rain swept through Okrada roundabout in Smokin area of Tamanart community.

Weather Forecast ⁣and Warnings

Morocco’s General Directorate of Meteorology previously reported that‍ very strong thunderstorms with hail and windstorms were expected in several regions‌ of the kingdom from Saturday to ‌Sunday.

The department ​explained, in a warning ​bulletin from the ​”red” alert level, that this phenomenon (60 -⁣ 100 mm) ‍is⁢ expected on Saturday, starting at‌ 8 pm until 11​ pm on Sunday, in each of the prefectures ⁣and provinces of Figuig, Irachidia, Zagora, Tingir, Ouarzazate, and Tata.

Heavy Rainfall and Flooding

In the‍ 24 hours since Saturday, 47 mm⁣ of heavy rain fell in‌ 3 hours in Ouarzazate city in southeastern Morocco, and up to⁣ 170 mm in Taconite in Zagora province, not far from the Algerian border.

In western⁢ Algeria, heavy rains fell, ‍causing torrential rains, ‍forcing the civil prevention services to intervene several times on Saturday night and Sunday.

Algeria’s‌ Response to the Floods

According to the civil prevention services, the body of‍ a girl who was ​swept away by the flood in Iliji state in ⁤the south ⁤of the country has been recovered.

A family of four was ​rescued after being trapped by floods in Algeria’s southwest Bechar province, where rains are expected to continue on Sunday.

Water ⁢Shortages and Dam ⁣Levels

Morocco is suffering ⁤from⁤ water shortages after a 6-year drought, and ⁢dam stocks fell to less than 28 percent at the end of August.

Four dams ‌in southeastern Morocco’s Rachidia and Tingir‌ provinces have received 20 million cubic meters of water since the thunderstorms began ‌on Aug. 23, the Ministry of Equipment and Water said.

The⁣ same source said, “30 million cubic meters of water have been imported… to oases and ⁢agricultural ‌land”.

In the Sos region in the country’s southwest, 4 other dams received “more than 11.2 million‌ cubic meters” of⁢ water as ‌of Sunday morning.