With temperatures of -5°C, areas in the north African nation of Morocco have experienced heavy snowfall especially in the mountainous High and Middle Atlas regions.
Morocco experiences heavy snowfall, social media reacts
But it is not an unexpected occurrence because previous years have produced much colder conditions around the same time. In a Warning Weather Report, the National Meteorological Directorate (NMD) had earlier announced snowfall from Monday to Tuesday and cold weather from Tuesday to Thursday in several parts of Morocco.
“As of Monday at 6 p.m., in the provinces of Ifrane, Khénifra, Azilal, Al Haouz, Beni Mellal, Midelt, Boulemane, Figuig and the reliefs of Chichaoua, Sefrou and Ouarzazate, the snowfall will vary between 30 and 50 centimeters, to stop Tuesday evening,” Morocco World News website reported.
On the social networks, especially Twitter, users are delighted by this new landscape offered by these snowfalls. The snow’s coverage is said to extend as far as the Algerian Sahara, in the region of Ain Sefra.
Others, however, are concerned about the social disruptions that the weather condition comes with among others, cutting villages off due to impassable roads. “People are isolated, roads are cut, farmers can no longer feed livestock,” lamented a resident to the AFP in his village nestled at the foot of the Middle Atlas.
The Moroccan government has subsequently hatched a plan to fight against the cold. Under the codename “Operation Cold Weather”, the plan should allow the distribution of blankets, food, other essentials in remote villages.
Sometime last year, three sub-Saharan African countries also reported experiencing snowy-like conditions. But it turned out that what happened in Kenya, Zambia and Cameroon was more of hail stones rather than snow. South Africa is one country known to experience snow.
Le Maroc sous la neige! ?❤ pic.twitter.com/qysFazsg2J— Agnès Druel (@agnesdruel) 7 janvier 2018
Il a neigé hier au #Sahara ! La #neige est tombée sur les hauts plateaux, comme ici à Aïn Sefra en #Algérie (1500 m). Magnifique ! pic.twitter.com/9XvbpuYivD— Météo-France (@meteofrance) 8 janvier 2018
Il@neige beaucoup ds le #HautAtlas à Isirs #tichka #Maroc pic.twitter.com/1DN7G3U6QN— Abou Toutcourt (@Aboutoutcourt) 6 janvier 2018
Il neige très fort à #Ifrane…Une pensée aux pauvres familles qui vivent des modestes locations de luges, accablées par le froid, martyrisées par le besoin…ah mon pauvre Maroc ?? ?.— Talal CHAKIR (@Chakirtalal) 7 janvier 2018