The number of victims in the recent floods in Morocco has now risen to 32 as the severity of the situation becomes clearer and the emergency teams carry out further search and rescue operations.
Some forecasters now say that the severe weather system that hit Morocco will head north and bring yet more heavy rain to parts of France and Italy, both of which suffered major flooding earlier this month.
Southern parts of Morocco were hit by a major storm and severe flooding over the weekend (see our report here). Hundreds have been forced from their homes, many of them any near the town of Errachidia where at least 60 houses are said to have been destroyed.
The worst hit area is the region of Guelmim, where 24 of the deaths occurred and at least 6 people remain missing. Dangerously high river levels are still a major concern.
Flood damage has blocked many of the major roads in the area. The army used helicopters to carry out the rescue and evacuation of around 40 people who were stranded. Over 200 people have been rescued in total.
Severe Weather Heads to France and Italy
After a short respite, southern France and parts of Italy could face further flooding this week as the storm system that recently swept over Morocco heads north. Rainfall amounts of around 50 to 100 mm (2 to 4 inches) have been forecast for south-eastern France and northern Italy over the next 2 days.
Accuweather are reporting that “The rain will first reach southeastern France on Tuesday before spreading to Italy late in the day. Continued wet weather is in store for both regions on Wednesday”.
This latest round of heavy rain comes after a spate of floods and severe weather for the region. Accuweather say:
So far this month, Nice, France, has already received 614 percent of its normal November rainfall. That percentage stands at 408 percent in Genoa, Italy, after 757 mm (nearly 30 inches) of rain poured down.
