Weather Portraits
Chergui winds, Atlantic fog, Atlas snow — Morocco's climate zones and their extremes
The chergui is the wind that defines summer. A hot, dry east wind from the Sahara, it crosses the Atlas and descends on the western plains and cities. In Marrakech, the chergui raises temperatures by 10-15°C in hours — a pleasant 30°C afternoon becomes a 45°C furnace. The wind carries fine Saharan dust that turns the sky amber and coats every surface. It lasts two to five days and disappears as suddenly as it arrives.
The Atlantic moderates everything west of the mountains. Essaouira's temperature rarely exceeds 25°C even in August — the cold Canary Current keeps the coast cool. Fog rolls in from the ocean, particularly in early morning. Agadir is warmer but still coastal. Casablanca has mild winters (12°C average) and warm summers (25°C average). The coast is green when the interior is brown.
The Mediterranean north is Morocco's wettest zone. Chefchaouen receives over 700mm of rainfall annually — more than London. The Rif mountains trap moisture from Mediterranean weather systems. The cannabis fields of Ketama grow in this relative abundance. Tangier has grey, wet winters that surprise visitors expecting perpetual sun.
The Atlas creates its own climate. The High Atlas receives heavy snowfall above 2,000 metres from November to April. Ski stations operate at Oukaimeden (3,200m) and Michlifen. The summit of Toubkal is snow-covered for six months. Below the snow line, the mountain climate is continental — cold winters, warm summers, dramatic daily temperature swings of 20°C or more.
South of the Atlas, rainfall collapses. Ouarzazate receives less than 100mm annually. Errachidia gets 130mm. Merzouga — the gateway to the Erg Chebbi dunes — gets less than 80mm. Temperatures in the pre-Saharan zone exceed 50°C in summer shade. Winter nights drop below freezing. The daily range can exceed 30°C.
Explore the full interactive module — with climate zone maps, temperature data, rainfall patterns, and the extreme weather records — at Dancing with Lions: https://www.dancingwiththelions.com/data/weather-portraits
Interactive Module
Data and visualisation by Dancing with Lions
