Water flows through sand dunes after a rare rainfall in the Sahara

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — A rare deluge of rain left blue water lagoons among the palm trees and sand dunes of the Sahara, providing some of the driest regions with more water than they had in decades.

Southeast Morocco Desert is one of the driest places in the world and rarely rains in late summer.

According to the Moroccan government, rainfall exceeded the annual average on two days in September in several areas that receive less than 250 millimeters (10 inches) per year, including Tata, one of the worst-hit areas. More than 100 millimeters (3.9 inches) were recorded in Tagounite, a village about 450 kilometers (280 miles) south of the capital Rabat in 24 hours.

The storms left behind impressive images of water rushing through the sands of the Sahara between castles and desert flora. NASA satellites showed water rushing in and filling Lake Iriqui, a famous lake bed between Zagora and Tata that had been dry for 50 years.

In desert communities frequented by tourists, SUVs drove through the puddles and residents watched the scene in awe.

“It has been 30 to 50 years since we had so much rain in such a short period of time,” said Houssine Youabeb of Morocco’s General Directorate of Meteorology.

Such rains, which forecasters call an extratropical storm, could change the trajectory of the region's weather in the coming months and years as the air retains more moisture, leading to more evaporation and more storms, Youabeb said.

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

The abundance of rainfall will likely help recharge the large sub-desert aquifers needed to provide water supplies in desert communities. The region's impounded reservoirs reported record recharge levels throughout September. However, it is unclear to what extent September rains will help alleviate the drought.

Water flows through the sand and the oases left more than 20 dead in Morocco and Algeria and damaged farmers' crops, forcing the government to provide emergency aid, including in some affected areas Earthquake last year.

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Ahmed reported from Bamako, Mali.