Heavy rainfall in the Sahara Desert has created large lakes amid sand dunes, drastically altering the barren landscape.

The region, known for its arid conditions, experienced floods for the first time in decades after intense rains hit southeast Morocco in September, CNN reports.
NASA data showed nearly 8 inches of rain in some areas, transforming the desert into a watery expanse.

Errachidia, a desert city in southeast Morocco, recorded almost 3 inches of rain, four times the area’s usual monthly average. Houssine Youabeb from Morocco’s meteorology agency stated, “It’s been 30 to 50 years since we’ve had this much rain in such a short space of time.”

The town of Merzouga witnessed the most dramatic changes, where new lakes were etched into the sand dunes. The palm trees’ reflections now shimmer across the newly formed lagoons. In Iriqui National Park, dry lakes were also filled due to the deluge.

While much of the rain fell in remote areas, some towns and villages were affected, leading to deadly floods that killed over a dozen people last month. Satellite images showed large portions of the northwest Sahara covered in greenery, a rare sight in the world’s largest non-polar desert.

Experts link the unusual rainfall to climate change, warning of more extreme weather in the Sahara as global temperatures rise due to fossil fuel pollution.
The floods offer a stark example of how human activity can disrupt natural cycles, with more rainstorms potentially altering the desert’s ecosystem in the future.