Three southern wilayas under yellow storm alert, ONM says

The National Office of Meteorology (ONM) has placed Illizi, Djanet and Tamanrasset under a level 1 yellow alert for rain and storms, Algérie 360 reported.

The alert was issued for Sunday, 25 October, and kept in place for Monday, 26 October. Showers in the three wilayas could turn into storms, and no other region of the country is included in the alert.

On Sunday, the alert also added a risk of sustained winds in Djanet and Tamanrasset. On Monday, the wind part of the alert was not renewed, but the rain and storm risk stayed for the same three wilayas.

The yellow level covers weather that is usual for the season, but it can become dangerous, especially for drivers and people in open areas. The report gives no further guidance for drivers or residents.

In its own explanation, which is not an official warning, Algérie 360 says the main danger in the desert is run-off. Dry, stony ground absorbs very little water, so a few millimetres of rain can turn a dry river bed (oued) into a torrent. Crossing roads then becomes very dangerous.

The report also gives its own explanation for the storms, which is not an official warning. The mountains of the Hoggar and Tassili n'Ajjer help form isolated but intense storm cells, which can drop several weeks of rain within minutes.

The report links the two days to an unstable air mass that has stayed over the Extreme South. Skies there alternate between sunshine and fast-growing clouds, and the storm risk usually peaks in the afternoon.

Earlier this month, Tamanrasset and In Salah were also among the wilayas placed on storm alert.