Heavy rains, which began on Friday in Tata province, some 740 kilometers south of Rabat, have led to the destruction of eight homes. Officials warned that the death toll may rise as search efforts continue.
The floods were triggered by an "unstable tropical air mass," according to Lhoussaine Youabd, a spokesman for Morocco’s General Directorate of Meteorology. This led to the formation of violent storms and significant rainfall, with some areas near the Algerian border recording up to 170 millimeters of rain. The province of Ouarzazate received 47 millimeters in just three hours. The region, already suffering from six years of drought, is now grappling with the impact of severe water stress.
In neighbouring Algeria, authorities confirmed one death and one missing person due to floods in the southern region. Several families were rescued after being trapped by flooded rivers, mostly in Illizi and Bechar. Videos circulating on social media showed parts of the Sahara desert submerged in water.
The heavy rains, accompanied by winds of up to 100 kilometers per hour in Ouarzazate, created an unusual optical phenomenon in Marrakesh, giving the sky an orange hue, according to the meteorological authorities.
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