Did You Know It Snowed in Sahara Desert!
How would you react to a sudden snowfall? Let's rephrase that. How would you react to a sudden snowfall in the Sahara desert? When it snowed in the Algerian city of Ain Sefra last January, the inhabitants were in for a surprise. And the whole world joined in. The Sahara is considered the largest hot desert, with its incredible 9,200,000 sq km area, and it was indeed a rare thing when Ain Sefra witnessed the snowfall. But is it that rare?
When Ain Sefra lay covered in 40 cm snow this year, it was actually for the second time in 40 years! The first occurred in the year 1979, and that snowstorm made sure to stop the traffic. The entire episode lasted for about half an hour, and this time too, by the end of the day, the snow had melted, and the sand dunes were back to normal. While there were debates as to the snowfall, as it was rare for a low altitude area to experience the bizarre phenomenon, it must be mentioned that freezing temperatures are quite normal in Ain Sefra, with hot and dry summers, and cold winters with temperatures that can reach even -10.2 C. That being said, the other parts of Algeria experience snowfall, and this particular event shouldn't come as a total surprise.
The snowfall in Sahara triggered not only the people, but also various debates regarding global warming. While we cannot ignore the hazards that lie for us in the future, let's leave it to the researchers to come to a conclusion.
Post Written by - Lopamudra
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