Floods hit... the SAHARA! Desert is struck by its biggest deluge for decades, with water filling lake that had been dry for 50 years

A rare deluge of rainfall left blue lagoons of water amid the palm trees and sand dunes of the Sahara desert, nourishing some of its driest regions with more water than they had seen in decades.

Southeastern Moroccos desert is among the most arid places in the world and rarely experiences rain in late summer.

The Moroccan government said two days of rainfall in September exceeded yearly averages in several areas that see less than 250 millimeters annually, including Tata, one of the areas hit hardest. 

In Tagounite, a village about 450 kilometers south of the capital, Rabat, more than 100 millimeters was recorded in a 24-hour period.

The storms left striking images of water gushing through the Saharan sands amid castles and desert flora. 

Palm trees are flooded in a lake caused by heavy rainfall in the desert town of Merzouga, near Rachidia, southeastern Morocco. Southeastern Moroccos desert is among the most arid places in the world and rarely experiences rain in late summer

A view of lakes caused by heavy rainfall between sand dunes in the desert town of Merzouga, near Rachidia, southeastern Morocco, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. The Moroccan government said two days of rainfall in September exceeded yearly averages in several areas

A man gestures as he walks on sand dunes next to a lake caused by heavy rainfall in the desert town of Merzouga, near Rachidia, southeastern Morocco, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024

NASA satellites showed water rushing in to fill Lake Iriqui, a famous lake bed between Zagora and Tata that had been dry for 50 years.

In desert communities frequented by tourists, 4x4s motored through the puddles and residents surveyed the scene in awe.

Its been 30 to 50 years since weve had this much rain in such a short space of time, said Houssine Youabeb of Moroccos General Directorate of Meteorology.

Such rains, which meteorologists are calling an extratropical storm, may change the course of the regions weather in months and years to come as the air retains more moisture, causing more evaporation and drawing more storms, Youabeb said.

Six consecutive years of drought have posed challenges for much of Morocco, forcing farmers to leave fields fallow and cities and villages to ration water.

An Oasis is reflected in a lake caused by heavy rainfall in the desert town of Merzouga, near Rachidia, southeastern Morocco, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024

Palm trees are reflected in a lake caused by heavy rainfall in the desert town of Merzouga, near Rachidia, southeastern Morocco, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024

A vehicle transports tourists on sand dunes next to a lake caused by heavy rainfall in the desert town of Merzouga, near Rachidia, southeastern Morocco, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024

An oasis is reflected in a lake caused by heavy rainfall in the desert town of Merzouga

The bounty of rainfall will likely help refill the large groundwater aquifers beneath the desert that are relied upon to supply water in desert communities. 

The regions dammed reservoirs reported refilling at record rates throughout September. 

However, its unclear how far Septembers rains will go toward alleviating drought.

Water gushing through the sands and oases left more than 20 dead in Morocco and Algeria and damaged farmers harvests, forcing the government to allocate emergency relief funds, including in some areas affected by last years earthquake.

Last year, Californias notorious Death Valley was also given a makeover after an unprecedented day of rain turned Americas driest place into a stunning oasis. 

The spectacular national park was shut to visitors in August as Hurricane Hilary dumped a year’s worth of rain onto the parched landscape, destroying roads and turning arid gullies into raging torrents.

Two months later, that 2.2 inches of rain has transformed the lethal landscape into an unrecognizable water world with wading birds foraging on tranquil lakes.

NASA satellite image from September 10 shows runoff and floodwater from an extratropical cyclone in Morocco last month

Image shows same area as above on August 14, before the storm