Rabat — Morocco’s General Directorate of Meteorology (DGM) issued an orange-level weather warning on Friday, forecasting thunderstorms, a risk of hail and strong wind gusts across several provinces in the kingdom’s north and center.
According to the bulletin, rainfall could reach between 20 and 30 millimeters in the affected areas. The warning targets the provinces of Guercif, Midelt, Al Hoceïma, Taza, Driouch and Ifrane, and is in effect from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. local time this Friday.
Such weather patterns are common at this time of year in the Rif and Middle Atlas mountain ranges, where lingering warm air masses collide with a cooler disturbance moving in from the northwest. Local authorities are urging residents in the affected provinces, particularly farmers and drivers using mountain roads, to exercise caution during the alert window.
Moroccan meteorological services are advising against non-essential travel through the mountainous areas under warning and recommend securing property vulnerable to strong winds, such as satellite dishes, agricultural tarpaulins and outdoor furniture. The hail risk in particular poses a threat to crops still in the ground in these largely agricultural provinces.
The orange alert, the second level on Morocco’s weather-warning scale, signals a hazardous but geographically contained phenomenon that calls for heightened vigilance rather than broad emergency measures. The DGM said it would continue issuing updates as the atmospheric situation develops through the evening.
The new storm episode comes as autumn gradually takes hold across the kingdom, with the now-familiar alternation between sunny days and localized storm activity over higher ground becoming a regular feature of the season. Authorities in the six affected provinces remain on standby to respond quickly to any flooding or storm-related incidents during the warning period.
