Striking images from the Sahara Desert have captured a rare and dramatic transformation, as lakes have emerged among the sand dunes following the region’s first significant flooding in decades. The desert, known as one of the driest places on Earth, experienced unusually heavy rainfall in late September 2024, leaving parts of southeastern Morocco covered in water.

Over two days, nearly eight inches of rain fell in some areas due to a low-pressure system, with the desert town of Merzouga being one of the hardest hit. This intense rain event carved out lakes amidst the dunes, creating a striking contrast between the water and the arid desert landscape.

Meteorologists reported that Errachidia, a city in southeastern Morocco, recorded nearly three inches of rainfall—four times its typical monthly average. This rare weather event has not been seen in decades, with some experts estimating it’s been up to 50 years since the region experienced such a deluge.

The rain has created breathtaking scenes, including shimmering reflections of palm trees across newly-formed lagoons. Some lakes, which are usually dry, such as those in Iriqui National Park, also filled with water, as seen in NASA satellite images. These images, which use false color to highlight the floodwaters, show vast swaths of the Sahara now dotted with new lakes.

While the rain brought stunning changes to the landscape, it also caused deadly flooding in some Moroccan towns, claiming over a dozen lives. Experts suggest that these extreme rainfall events could become more frequent as climate change continues to disrupt weather patterns across the globe. 

The Sahara Desert, stretching 3.6 million square miles, has shown signs of increasing green cover after this storm, a trend some link to the planet’s warming temperatures.