Morocco flood death toll rises to 37

The death toll from flash floods that hit the Moroccan coastal town of Safi over the weekend rose to 37, local authorities said on Monday.

"Fourteen people are currently being treated at Mohammed V hospital in Safi, including two in intensive care," local authorities added in their statement.

Search and rescue operations continued on Monday, after the deadliest such severe weather event in Morocco in over a decade.

Images on social media showed a torrent of muddy water sweeping cars and rubbish bins from the streets in Safi, which sits around 300 kilometres south of the capital Rabat.

Climate change

The General Directorate of Meteorology (DGM) said 2024 was Morocco's hottest year on record, while registering an average rainfall deficit of -24.7%.

Moroccan autumns are typically marked by a gradual drop in temperatures, but climate change has affected weather patterns and made storms more intense because a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture and warmer seas can turbocharge the systems.

Flash floods killed hundreds in Morocco in 1995.