16 wilayas placed on yellow rain and storm alert

The National Office of Meteorology (ONM) has issued a level one yellow alert for 16 wilayas in northern Algeria, for rain and storms from Wednesday evening.

Algérie 360 reported that the most sensitive period is Wednesday evening, when the 16 wilayas appear on the ONM bulletin. Forecasters had already warned on Tuesday of showers mixed with storms across several regions.

In the east, El Tarf, Annaba, Skikda, Guelma, Souk Ahras, Oum El Bouaghi and Tébessa are among the areas covered. The alert then moves towards Kabylie, with Béjaïa, Tizi Ouzou, Boumerdès and Bouira included. The centre of the country is also affected, with Algiers, Blida, Médéa, Tipaza and Aïn Defla under the same yellow alert.

Thunderstorm cells are expected over Souk Ahras, Oum El Bouaghi and Tébessa, where showers could be brief but intense. The ONM has also flagged a stronger weather event in these three eastern wilayas.

Meteorologists have set the timing of the bad weather. Rain and storms are expected from 21:00 on Wednesday, and should ease by about 06:00 on Thursday. That gives a nine-hour night window that mainly affects late evening and early morning journeys.

The main concern is road conditions, because wet roads lengthen braking distances and visibility falls quickly in a storm.

Authorities advise drivers to delay trips that are not essential during the heaviest rain. The general advice stays the same: adapt speed to conditions, and expect water running across wet roads.

In urban areas, drainage is a recurring weak point. Just a few tens of minutes of steady rain can overload drains and form deep puddles on some roads.

The ONM updates its bulletins several times a day. The report also suggests checking Météo Algérie updates before setting off on the road.

In mid-October, the ONM had already issued level two special bulletins for western Algeria, with rainfall totals that were sometimes high. The country has had unsettled weather for several weeks.