At least 18 people have been killed in Morocco and two in Algeria after severe thunderstorms across the region caused major flooding.
Seventeen prefectures and provinces have been affected and searches are under way for four missing people, Morocco’s Interior Ministry spokesman Rachid Khalfi said.
He said the highest death toll had been recorded in the city of Tata, south-east of the coastal city of Agadir and close to the Sahara, where 10 people died.
Two people died in the coastal city of Tiznit, in the west, and three more – including two Canadian and Peruvian citizens – in the eastern city of Errachidia, towards the border with Algeria.
Authorities also retrieved the bodies of two people, including a Spanish national in Tinghir in the centre east and one person in Taroudant in the south west.
Fifty-six homes have collapsed and 93 roads damaged, which led to a disruption in traffic and completely cut off access to some villages. Electricity, drinking water and telecom networks have been affected, Mr Khalfi said on Sunday evening.
“The volume of precipitation that we have witnessed in the past two days is equivalent to the number that these regions usually experience for an entire year,” he said.
According to the Moroccan General Directorate of Meteorology, 47mm of rain has been recorded in the Ouarzazate province, while Tagounite near the Algerian border had almost 170mm.
The heavily damaged city of Tata recorded 250mm of rain, with 203mm in Tinghir, central Morocco, and 114mm in Figuig, on the border with Algeria, local outlets reported.
These storms and floods in Morocco come exactly a year after a devastating 6.8 magnitude quake hit El Haouz district in Marrakesh, in the west of the country, killing nearly 3,000 people.
Earlier this month, the Moroccan government received heavy criticism after stating that it has only been able to replace 1,000 out of the estimated 55,000 lost homes in the region. Survivors continue to live in precarious conditions, many still in tents.
The poor response to the earthquake has led to fears that the victims of Monday's flooding will fail to receive the help they need. Remote areas with already worn out infrastructure bear the brunt of such natural disasters.
Meanwhile, Algeria’s civil defence announced on Sunday that they had retrieved the body of a 10 year old who drowned after a river overflowed in the southern governorate Tamanrasset.
“The situation is catastrophic, we didn't imagine that such a thing could happen overnight and that the entire city would be affected,” Ibrahim Mourad, Algerian Minister of Interior told the state-owned Algerian TV, on a visit to the flood-ravaged city of Bechar.
Authorities have sent 2,200 civil defence officers and the Algerian military “to get the situation under control”, Mr Mourad said.
He added that 120mm of rain had been recorded so far and that damage includes the collapse of bridges, houses and shops, and the complete shutdown of some sections of railway lines.
Authorities also said a 13-year-old boy died in the city of Tendouf, on the southern border with Morocco.
Tunisian authorities have also warned citizens of the risk of flooding in some western governorates.
Videos posted online show heavy rain and rivers overflowing in the Siliana and Beja governorates in the north-west, as well as Sidi Bouzid and the city of Bouficha in the centre of the country.
According to international expert Anis Ben Bayana, such serious repercussions show the importance of preparing for climate change.
“These extreme weather phenomena that are happening are the result of climate change and there is no doubt in that, but it’s humans' incapacity to prepare for it that makes its repercussions quite devastating and fatal,” Mr Ben Bayana told The National.
He said developing and developed countries are going to keep facing such problems unless they prepare for and adapt to extreme and sudden weather conditions
“Infrastructure and the planning of entire cities must change in a way that it could adapt to heavy rains coming at once in a short period of time, and all climate change-linked problems,” Mr Ben Bayana said.
“Violations of forests’ regulations and ongoing cutting down of the trees, which absorb carbon monoxide and prevent landslides, to build houses must also stop.”
All three countries have been suffering from severe droughts for the past six years. Severe thunderstorms frequently cause flooding in the region, but dam levels continue to remain critically low.
On Monday, dams in Morocco were less than 28 per cent full, despite two days of heavy rain. In Tunisia, dams are barely 23 per cent full, said the Ministry of Agriculture on Monday.
Mr Ben Bayana said such low dam levels are normal, in a region that has been suffering from droughts for the past few years.
"Dams cannot start filling up bare lands," he said. "The soil must absorb the water it needs first. Plants would also consume lots of water after such long period of drought, and we must not forget the groundwater tables that have been exhausted."
Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
'The Sky is Everywhere'
Director:Josephine Decker
Stars:Grace Kaufman, Pico Alexander, Jacques Colimon
Rating:2/5
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Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: from Dh155,000
On sale: now
The specs: 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali
Price, base / as tested Dh207,846 / Dh220,000
Engine 6.2L V8
Transmission Eight-speed automatic
Power 420hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque 624Nm @ 4,100rpm
Fuel economy, combined 13.5L / 100km
Coal Black Mornings
Brett Anderson
Little Brown Book Group
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre V6
Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
Price: Dh179,999-plus
On sale: now
