Morocco’s Ministry of Equipment, Water and Forests issued a public caution on Wednesday, urging drivers across the country to limit travel as a fresh weather warning points to thunderstorms and violent winds sweeping through several regions.
The disturbance is expected to affect the kingdom from Wednesday, November 11, through Thursday, November 12. Rainfall totals could reach between 30 and 110 millimeters in the hardest-hit provinces, enough to trigger rapid runoff in low-lying or poorly drained areas. Forecasters are also warning of gusts reaching 80 to 100 kilometers per hour, accompanied in places by blowing dust that is expected to cut visibility sharply on certain highways.
Given the risk, the ministry is asking motorists to postpone non-essential trips and to avoid driving after dark for the duration of the warning. Officials are also recommending that drivers inspect their vehicles beforehand, checking brakes, tires, headlights, windshield wipers and washer fluid, tire pressure, fuel levels and air conditioning systems before setting out.
Particular caution is being urged around low-lying crossings and seasonal riverbeds, known locally as oueds, where water levels can rise within minutes during a storm. The ministry stressed that drivers should never attempt to cross a flooded road, even over a short distance, since flash flooding remains one of the leading causes of fatal accidents during intense rain events in Morocco. Motorists are further advised to avoid overtaking and sudden maneuvers, keep a safe following distance, and reduce speed on wet or windy stretches.
Warnings of this kind are a familiar feature of the Moroccan autumn. Each year, the Atlas Mountains, the Rif range and several southern provinces see a marked uptick in thunderstorm activity, with steep terrain often accelerating runoff and increasing the risk of sudden flooding. Local authorities and the ministry’s own response teams are being mobilized along routes considered most exposed, ready to intervene if conditions deteriorate.
The ministry closed its advisory by calling on drivers to strictly follow road signage as well as the instructions of law-enforcement officers and field response teams stationed along affected roads throughout the storm.