The Sahara Desert witnessed snow and frost as temperatures dropped below freezing.
- On January 13, Aïn Séfra in Algeria saw a blanket of snow when temperatures hit -3C.
- In addition to this, temperatures in Saudi Arabia also dropped below freezing.
- Photographers captured breathtaking photographs of the bizarre snow that fell in both Africa and the Middle East.
Over the past week, snow blanketed parts of the Sahara Desert as well as Saudi Arabia.
While January is often associated with snow, it is not anticipated neither in the Sahara Desert nor in the Middle East. However, this year has brought a beautiful and bizarre surprise as temperatures have dipped below freezing and snow has fallen. On January 13, the temperature in the Algerian town of Aïn Séfra hit -3C and snow covered the sand dunes of the Saharan desert town. According to the Sun, Aïn Séfra is also known as “The Gateway to the Desert”. Therefore, it is indeed quite surprising to see snow and ice covering this town. Karim Bouchetata took numerous mesmerizing photographs of the unusual sight.
Saudi Arabia also experienced snow as temperatures dropped to -2C.
The Sun further reported that the Tabuk region in northwestern Saudi Arabia also saw unusual weather this month. While the temperatures in Saudi Arabia can reach up to 50C during the summer, they dropped below freezing on January 10. A photographer captured several images depicting camels amid a blanket of snow in the mountainous region of Saudi Arabia.
Interestingly, according to the Daily Mail, although the Sahara Desert is very dry today, it is expected to become green again in around 15,000 years.