The death toll from flash floods that struck the Moroccan coastal town of Safi over the weekend has risen to 37, local authorities reported on Monday.
Authorities added that 14 people are currently receiving treatment at Mohammed V Hospital, including two in intensive care.
Search and rescue operations continued on Monday following what has been described as the deadliest severe weather event in Morocco in over a decade. Social media images showed torrents of muddy water sweeping away cars and rubbish bins from Safi’s streets. The town is located approximately 300 kilometres (186 miles) south of the capital, Rabat.
Severe weather and flooding are not uncommon in Morocco, which is currently experiencing its seventh consecutive year of drought. According to the General Directorate of Meteorology (DGM), 2024 was Morocco’s hottest year on record, with an average rainfall deficit of 24.7%.
Typically, Moroccan autumns see a gradual drop in temperatures, but climate change has intensified storms by increasing the atmosphere’s moisture content and warming seas, which fuel stronger weather systems.
Historically, flash floods have had devastating effects in Morocco, with hundreds killed in a major flood event in 1995.
