Morocco’s meteorological agency issued an orange-level weather alert Saturday as snowfall, heavy rains, and freezing temperatures are forecast to affect multiple provinces through Monday.
The Directorate General of Meteorology (DGM) announced that snowfall of 10 to 20 centimeters above 1,700 meters will occur on Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. in Ifrane, Khenifra, Midelt, Taza, Sefrou, Boulemane, and Beni Mellal provinces.
Heavier snowfall of 20 to 40 centimeters above 1,500 meters is expected from Sunday at noon through Monday at 11:00 p.m. in Midelt, Azilal, Beni Mellal, Khenifra, Boulemane, Ifrane, Sefrou, Taza, and Guercif provinces.
Additional provinces will experience lighter snowfall of 5 to 15 centimeters above 1,500 meters during the same Sunday-Monday period. These include Taourirt, Al Hoceima, Ouarzazate, Tinghir, Al Haouz, Figuig, Jerada, and Chefchaouen.
Heavy rains with thunderstorms reaching 35 to 60 millimeters are forecast from Sunday midnight through Monday at 9:00 a.m. The affected areas include Taza, Tetouan, Taounate, Fahs-Anjra, Larache, Tanger-Assilah, Ouezzane, M’diq-Fnideq, Kenitra, Sidi Kacem, Al Hoceima, and Chefchaouen provinces.
Moderate rainfall of 25 to 35 millimeters will simultaneously affect Driouch, El Hajeb, Ifrane, Khenifra, Fez, Sefrou, Khemisset, Rabat, Sidi Slimane, Moulay Yaacoub, Sale, Skhirat-Temara, and Meknes provinces.
Saturday’s weather conditions include cold to very cold temperatures across mountainous areas, the Southeast, Oriental region, and High Plateaus, with frost and ice formation expected. Partly cloudy skies with scattered light rain will affect the Middle Atlas, Saiss region, Oulmes, Rif mountains, Mediterranean coast, and northern interior plains.
Mountain areas will experience the most severe cold, with temperatures above 1,600 meters dropping to between -8°C and -4°C from Saturday through Sunday. This extreme cold will impact Boulemane, Ifrane, Midelt, Khenifra, Azilal, Beni Mellal, Tinghir, Ouarzazate, Al Haouz, Taroudant, and Chichaoua provinces.
Saturday minimum temperatures will range from -7°C to 1°C in Atlas regions, 2°C to 5°C in the Rif and eastern High Plateaus, 10°C to 13°C in southern areas and coastal zones, and 6°C to 10°C elsewhere. Daytime temperatures will decrease across the country.
Strong wind gusts are expected along the Mediterranean coast, the central and southern Atlantic shores, and the Oriental region. Sea conditions will vary from calm to rough in the Mediterranean, rough to very rough in the Strait of Gibraltar, and strong to very strong between Larache and Tan-Tan.
MWN with MAP
