Water Surges Through Sand Dunes After Rare Sahara Rainstorm | Southeastern Morocco’s desert

 A rare and powerful downpour has transformed parts of the Sahara desert, creating stunning blue lagoons among the palm trees and sand dunes, and bringing much-needed water to some of its driest regions. Southeastern Morocco, one of the most arid areas in the world, experienced a late-summer rainstorm that delivered more water than it had seen in decades.

In September, two days of rainfall exceeded the annual averages in several regions that typically receive less than 250 millimeters (10 inches) of rain per year. Tata, one of the hardest-hit areas, witnessed an unprecedented amount of rain. The village of Tagounite, located around 450 kilometers (280 miles) south of Rabat, recorded more than 100 millimeters (3.9 inches) of rain in just 24 hours.

The storm left behind breathtaking scenes, with water surging through the Saharan sands, past ancient castles and desert plants. NASA satellites captured images of water flowing into Lake Iriqui, a lake bed between Zagora and Tata that had remained dry for 50 years.