Unsettled skies are returning to Morocco this Wednesday, with the national meteorology office warning of widespread rain and gusty winds across a large swath of the kingdom.
Forecasters say the heaviest downpours, locally intense, will hit the Rif mountains, the city of Tangier, the Loukkos area, the western Mediterranean coastline and the northern Gharb plain. Rain and scattered showers are also expected across the rest of the Gharb, the Abda, Chiadma, Chaouia and Doukkala regions, the Phosphate Plateaus, the broader Mediterranean coast, the high Atlas ranges and the Souss valley. Further south, only light, scattered drizzle is likely in the northwestern corner of the southern provinces.
Wind will be the other headline. Strong gusts are forecast over the central Atlantic plains, the southern slopes of the High Atlas, the Rif and the northern Atlantic seaboard. Meanwhile, the eastern region, the southeast and the northern part of the southern provinces will see comparatively strong winds as well, with a chance of localized blowing dust reducing visibility.
Overnight lows will dip sharply in the Atlas highlands, where temperatures could fall as low as 3 degrees Celsius, rising to around 8 at best. The Rif and the eastern high plateaus will be milder, between 11 and 16 degrees, while the southern provinces stay comparatively warm overnight, ranging from 20 to 26 degrees. Elsewhere in the kingdom, lows will hover between 16 and 21 degrees. Daytime highs are set to edge up slightly across the inland plains, the Mediterranean coast, the Anti-Atlas and the southern provinces, while the rest of the country should see temperatures hold steady or dip a touch.
At sea, conditions will swing from choppy to rough along the Mediterranean front, worsening sharply in the Strait of Gibraltar, where waters will turn rough to very rough before becoming very rough by nightfall. North of Essaouira, the sea will be very rough throughout, and between Essaouira and Tarfaya it will range from rough to very rough. Along the remaining coastline, conditions will vary between calm and moderately choppy.
Given the volatile outlook, weather officials are urging drivers and anyone venturing out to sea to exercise extra caution, particularly in the areas facing the heaviest rain and the strongest gusts. Wednesday’s system is the latest in a run of unstable weather that has swept across Morocco in recent days, alternating between rain spells and sudden wind surges, and residents in the affected regions are advised to keep an eye on official updates before travelling.
