Safi recorded 19 mm of rain in just one hour before deadly flash floods left 37 people dead, according to the Directorate General of Meteorology. The unstable weather pattern behind the tragedy is expected to persist until Thursday, bringing more rain, thunderstorms, and snowfall across several regions of Morocco. DR ‹ › The torrential showers that swept people away and submerged homes in Safi, killing 37 people as of the updated toll this Monday, were caused by the formation of highly unstable weather cells, according to the Communications Director at the Directorate General of Meteorology (DGM). Between 3 and 4 p.m. on Sunday, December 14, Safi recorded 19 mm of rain in just one hour, Houcine Youabed told Yabiladi. In total, the city accumulated 35 mm in six hours. Despite the severe human and material losses, Safi was not the region that recorded the heaviest rainfall during the recent stormy weekend. According to Youabed, several areas exceeded 70 mm in 24 hours, especially in the far northwest. Tetouan alone saw around 50 mm in a single hour. Youabed explains that the episode was primarily driven by «an isolated upper-level low-pressure system positioned above the country, accompanied by a distinctly cold air mass in the upper layers of the atmosphere». This setup created a dynamic environment ripe for instability. «It also allowed continuous inflows of moist air from the Atlantic and Mediterranean, fueling active cloud systems responsible for the heavy rain and significant mountain snowfall», he added. Snowfall reached 50 cm in parts of the High and Middle Atlas, with peaks exceeding 80 cm on some Middle Atlas summits, Youabed confirmed. A few more days of turbulent weather Unsettled conditions are expected to persist until Wednesday, with more rain, thunderstorms, and snowfall forecast across central and northern Morocco, Youabed shared. Temperatures will continue dropping, and moderate to strong winds are expected in parts of the north and center. Storm activity will intensify on Tuesday, the peak of the disturbance, with strong thunderstorms and heavy rainfall expected across the Atlantic plains, Rif, Saïs, the Atlas and its western slopes, the Mediterranean coast, and the eastern regions, along with heavy snow and very cold, frosty conditions in the mountains. Rain and thunderstorms will continue locally on Wednesday across the north, the Atlas, the Rif, the Mediterranean coast, and the east, with snowfall persisting over the Atlas and Rif. Gradual improvement will only be recorded on Thursday, as scattered showers may linger over the Mediterranean coast, the Middle Atlas, the southeast, and the east. However, cold temperatures will remain over the mountains, the southeast, and the high plateaus. The DGM urges the public to remain vigilant and adopt preventive measures to limit risks linked to heavy rain, strong winds, and significant snowfall.
