The northern regions of Mali, Niger, Chad and Libya are preparing to receive unprecedented amounts of heavy rain and strong thunderstorms in the coming days, despite their reputation for drought.
A report published by the American Washington Post revealed that the Sahara Desert in Africa will witness unprecedented rains that may lead to rare floods. It is expected that the amount of rain during the period between August and September will increase by about 5 times the average rainfall in these two months, with some areas anticipating rain for the first time ever.
The southern regions of these countries naturally experience heavy rainfall, averaging 30 to 50 inches annually, while the northern regions rarely experience such rainfall, but forecasts indicate that the situation will change in the coming days, according to the Washington Post.
Northern Chad averages 2 to 6 inches of rainfall a year, and the GFS weather model suggests a lot of rain could fall in the next 10 days. Mauritania and southern Algeria could also get an inch or two of rain, and Libya will also see some rain.
Half of the Sahara Desert in Africa receives less than one inch of rain a year, while the average rainfall in the arid desert is usually only about 3 inches a year, according to the newspaper.
The Sahara Desert is usually hot and dry because there is a high pressure area that holds warm, dry air above it.
But over the next two weeks, those conditions will change as a low-pressure area moves north, bringing rain clouds and heavy rain to areas that have never seen them before, according to the Washington Post.
This strange phenomenon is also linked to the reason behind the unexpected decrease in the number of hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean during the recent period, according to the report.
Heavy rains that have caused deadly flooding around the world in recent weeks were “unpredictable” in both their location and their intensity, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Last updated: August 31, 2024 – 14:41
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2024-09-01 02:32:28