Morocco’s Meteorology General Directorate forecasts locally strong winds and duststorms, with scattered thunderstorms to hit several provinces today and on Thursday.
The weather alert expects wind with dust storms of 70 to 90 kilometers per hour to hit several provinces in Boulemane, Guercif, Taourit, Jerada, Figuig, Oujda-Angad, Berkane, Nador, Midelt, and Sefrou from 3 p.m. to Thursday at 11 p.m.
Wind gusts are also expected on Thursday from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. in the provinces of Rehamna, El Jadida, Safi, Sidi Bennour, Youssoufia, Chichaoua, Essaouira, Mohammedia, Marrakech, Casablanca, and Mediouna.
The same weather will hit many other provinces, including Rabat, Sale, Skhirate-Temara, Benslimane, Berrechid, Settat, Khouribga, and Khemisset.
Scattered thunderstorms with wind gusts are meanwhile expected in the provinces of Taroudant, Agadir-Ida-Ou-Tanane, Al Haouz, Chichaoua and Essaouira from Wednesday at 9 p.m. to Thursday at 9 p.m.
Morocco is in need of rainfall as the North African kingdom has been facing six seasons of drought and a concerning lack or absence of rainfall, which led to bold measures by authorities – including the cancellation of Eid Al Adha sacrifice ritual earlier this year.
Last month, Water and Equipment Minister Nizar Baraka announced that the country’s dam filling rate currently stands at 31.6%, compared to 29% a year earlier.
He also pledged the government’s commitment to accelerating the completion of large-scale water infrastructure.
“There are 14 large dams currently under construction, six medium-sized dams in progress, and two new ones planned,” Baraka told MPs at the House of Representatives, revealing plans to complete 155 additional small dams by 2027.
“Seven consecutive years of drought is no easy challenge,” he added, emphasizing that the government is working under a clear roadmap prioritizing rural access to water.
He further revealed that so far, around 2.7 million citizens have benefited from emergency water distribution programs involving 1,200 tanker trucks across affected regions.
