Sahara and Niger Hit by Severe Flooding

The Sahara Desert has experienced an unprecedented deluge of rainfall for the first time in 50 years, resulting in significant flooding in regions like southeastern Morocco, where rainfall exceeded annual averages over two days. This rare weather event, described as an extratropical storm, may alter the regional climate by increasing moisture and potential future storms, despite six consecutive years of drought. Meanwhile, Niger has been grappling with catastrophic floods that have resulted in 339 deaths and displaced over 1.1 million people since June. These floods, exacerbated by climate change, have caused extensive damage to infrastructure, cultural sites, and agriculture, with many areas receiving up to 200% more rain than usual. The Nigerien government has postponed the school year start as they manage the aftermath of these devastating floods.