Videos and satellite imagery captured a major sandstorm sweeping across southern Morocco on March 30, with dense dust clouds reducing visibility in areas such as Tan-Tan and Smara. Explaining the phenomenon, Morocco's General Directorate of Meteorology points to a sharp pressure gradient as the underlying driver. DR ‹ › Videos of a sandstorm have flooded social media this week, showing dense dust clouds engulfing the skies over Morocco's southern provinces. The viral footage, filmed in Tan-Tan and Smara on Monday, March 30, captures clouds of dust sweeping across the cities, reducing visibility and creating harsh conditions. Beyond these striking images, satellite data offers a broader view of the phenomenon. A vast wall of dust was tracked moving from the Sahara across Morocco toward the Atlantic. Images captured by NASA's Terra satellite and the NOAA-21 satellite documented the progression of the dust plume, while Meteosat-12, operated by EUMETSAT, provided additional observations as it drifted westward. La ville de Tan-Tan a été balayée, le lundi 30 mars 2026, par une violente tempête accompagnée de vents de sable. Ce phénomène a provoqué une visibilité quasi nulle, plongeant la ville sous un ciel orange opaque.#TanTan #Maroc #TempêteDeSable #Météo #SNRTnews pic.twitter.com/L5I9vcAtTZ — SNRTNewsfr (@SNRTNewsfr) March 31, 2026 According to Morocco's General Directorate of Meteorology (DGM), the event was the result of a specific synoptic situation marked by strong southeasterly winds over the Sahara, locally known as «Chergui». This pattern was driven by «a sharp pressure gradient between a powerful high-pressure system over the Atlantic Ocean (the Azores High) and a continental low-pressure system developing east of Morocco and extending over the desert» Hussein Youabed, communications officer at the DGM, told Yabiladi on Wednesday. Spring, peak for dust storms As a result of this pressure contrast, winds accelerated and intensified, «lifting large amounts of dust and sand from the Sahara and transporting them across central and southern Morocco», he shared. Visibility dropped sharply in several desert areas, particularly in Tan-Tan and Smara, he added. A massive curtain of dust sweeps across northwestern Africa. pic.twitter.com/0sVn7yuDPq — CIRA (@CIRA_CSU) March 30, 2026 Morocco's General Directorate of Meteorology (DGM) had already issued an orange-level weather alert ahead of the event, warning of strong wind gusts ranging between 70 and 80 km/h, accompanied by blowing dust and sandstorms. The alert covered several provinces, including Figuig, Assa-Zag, Tata, Tan-Tan, Sidi Ifni, Tiznit, Smara, and Guelmim. However, Youabed clarified that the phenomenon is not directly linked to the Harmattan, which primarily affects West Africa, particularly the Sahel and coastal regions of Guinea, «but rather reflects a similar regional atmospheric pattern». He noted that spring is typically a peak period for such events, due to «rapid surface heating over the desert, which favors the formation of strong thermal lows and enhances dry continental wind activity». Looking ahead, conditions are expected to gradually improve as wind intensity decreases and the air mass shifts. However, some areas, particularly the Atlas, central coasts, and northern parts of the southern provinces, may continue to experience relatively strong winds, potentially accompanied by blowing dust that could temporarily reduce visibility. Moderate to strong winds are also expected along the central coasts on Thursday.
