Sahara desert flooded for first time in 50 years after rare spell of rain

The world's largest desert, the Sahara, was flooded for the first time in 50 years after a rare spell of rain in Morocco. Satellite imagery captured the remarkable filling of Lake Iriqui, a famous lake bed that had been dry for half a century. 

Southeastern Morocco typically sees little to no rain in late summer. However, in



September, two days of rainfall exceeded the annual average in several areas that receive less than 250 millimetres of rain per year.

Tata, one of the hardest-hit regions, experienced unprecedented rainfall, with more than 100 millimetres recorded in a 24-hour period in the village of Tagounite, about 450 kilometres south of Rabat.