Snow covers the hottest desert in the world
The world is going through a strange weather period, some places are baking hot, some are freezing cold. Even the Sahara is no exception.
Rare snowfall in the Sahara. Video: BBC
According to CNN, recently in the Sahara desert - one of the hottest places in the world, it snowed. This is a rare phenomenon, occurring only 3 times in the past 40 years.
Snow fell in the Algerian town of Ain Sefra, known as the “gateway to the Sahara.” Some areas reported as much as 15 inches (38cm), but officials said it was 14 inches (35cm).
Photographers did not miss this rare opportunity. They competed to take pictures of the snow falling in the desert and send them to newspapers.
Photographer Karim Bouchetata told Shutterstock he was surprised to wake up in the morning to find snow that only started to melt around 5 p.m.
According to experts, an unusually strong low pressure system passing over Ain Sefra has caused strong winds and colder air, creating conditions for snowfall in the Sahara.
The first time it snowed in the Sahara was on February 18, 1979. It only lasted half an hour. The second time was in December last year, turning the sand dunes a strange red color.
Image of snow drifting in the Sahara Desert near the town of Ain Sefra, Algeria, sent to Shutterstock by a photographer:
