Rare Tropical Weather System Moves North, Impacts Moroccan Sahara

A very rare natural phenomenon is occurring in the Moroccan Sahara. "Morocco is experiencing an exceptional northward movement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), which is one of the main meteorological systems influencing the climate of tropical and subtropical areas," Houssein Youabed, communication manager at the DGM, told Challenge.

According to him, this front moves north and south according to the seasons and plays a key role in the formation of thunderstorm systems and atmospheric disturbances in these regions.

The days of Wednesday and Thursday (September 4/5) were marked by the persistence of stormy instability in the Atlas regions and its eastern slopes in a moderate way. Thunderstorms and hail were recorded in places and at times in the southeast of Morocco as well as the south of the Oriental region. "From Friday, September 6 to Monday, September 9, Morocco will again experience a northward movement of the Intertropical Front towards the north of our Saharan provinces, combined with a descent of cold air masses at altitude linked to the approach of a low pressure system on the far north of Morocco," said Houssein Youabed, before reiterating the usual advice. It is a question of "being vigilant and closely following the weather bulletins issued by the General Directorate of Meteorology, which ensures continuous monitoring of the situation".

To read:Strong Winds Divert Multiple Flights from Tangier’s Ibn Battuta Airport

These regions face chronic water stress, exacerbated by the severe drought of recent years. According to forecasts, they should receive rainfall amounts never recorded in decades. Citing a study by Severe Weather Europe, the specialized site Reporterre reports that more than 500% of normal monthly rainfall in September should fall during this episode, which could last two weeks. This cumulative will even exceed the normal by 1000% in places, it is specified. If the rainfall amounts predicted by the weather models are correct, "this 2024 event will be either the equivalent of a historic rainy event of 1994, or the most important ever observed since the beginning of the records in the vast region of the great Sahara, which extends from the Atlantic to the Red Sea," it is explained.