Flash Floods Submerge Marrakech Streets After Intense Downpour

The rains only lasted about thirty minutes. But they largely paralyzed the city of Marrakech. Residents are in dismay. They are looking for where to take refuge. The scenes filmed by many onlookers speak for themselves. Videos on social media show the extent of the damage: heavy flooding has affected several alleys and streets, transformed into rivers due to the intensity of the rains. Two cars remained stuck in a tunnel.

These showers were so strong that the sewerage systems could not absorb the large amount of water. The drainage system and rainwater drainage, whose gutters and channels proved incapable of absorbing such large amounts of water, have shown their fragility.

Is this an expected episode? Strong thunderstorms (20 to 60 mm), accompanied by hail and locally strong gusts of wind (70 to 85 km/h), are expected between Saturday and Monday in several regions of the kingdom, the Directorate General of Meteorology (DGM) had indicated in an alert bulletin on Saturday.

These showers (30 to 50 mm) are expected on Sunday, from noon to 11 pm, in the provinces and prefectures of Kelaa des Sraghna, Al Haouz, Chichaoua, Marrakech and Rhamna, Tinghir, Ouarzazate, Taroudant, Tata and Assa-Zag, the DGM had specified, adding that the same situation (40 to 60 mm) would occur on Monday, in Tinghir, Midelt, Errachidia, Zagora, Ouarzazate, Tata and Taroudant, from midnight to 11 pm.

Similarly, locally strong gusts of wind (70 to 85 km/h) will hit on Monday the provinces of Figuig, Jerada, Jerrif, Taourirt, Boulemane and Midelt, from midnight to 9 pm, the DGM had also announced.

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