Morocco: Cold Wave - Jan 2018

At the start of 2018, temperatures are below seasonal norms in various parts of the world. In Morocco, starting from 5 January, temperatures are generally below normal. Heavy snowfall has affected the High Atlas and the Middle Atlas, from 900 meters above sea level, with temperatures as low as minus 5 ° C, where the average tempratures in January (the coldest of the 3 winter months) hovers around 18 degrees Celsius. This average includes a low of 7 degrees and a high of 23 degrees.
In the interior of the country, several roads have been cut due to snow, according to the Ministry of Transport. With its terrain mountains accustomed to very harsh winters, this area is the most affected by the cold wave that has raged between 5 and 9 January, 2018.
The cold also affects, to a lesser extent, the Atlantic coast. In Rabat, a hailstorm hit the city. An impressive amount of seaweed has been observed off the administrative capital. The heavy rains are greeted with some relief by farmers who were worried about the risk of drought. People find themselves isolated, the roads are cut, and farmers can no longer feed livestock at the foot of the Middle Atlas. (IFRC, 24 Jan 2017)

As of 8 February,All public authorities are mobilized to open up regions hit by heavy snowfall via the implementation of an intervention plan to weather the impact of the cold wave and snowfall, said on Thursday head of government Saâd Eddine El Othmani, noting that this plan involves 22 provinces, including 1205 villages under 169 communes, totalling a population of 514,000 inhabitants. (Gov't Morocco, 8 Feb 2017)