Deadly record rains flood Tunisia, paralysing cities
At least three people have died in the coastal region of Monastir, officials say.
Flooding across Tunisia has killed three people, authorities said on Tuesday, with one official reporting a "critical" situation as parts of the North African country experienced their heaviest rainfall in more than 70 years.
Civil defence spokesperson Khalil Mechri said two people were swept away by floodwaters, while an elderly woman drowned inside her home. The deaths occurred overnight from Monday to Tuesday in the coastal region of Monastir, according to the regional head of civil defence.
Meteorologists warned the situation remained dire. Abderazak Rahal, head of forecasting at the National Institute of Meteorology (INM), said some regions had not experienced such intense rainfall since 1950. “We have recorded exceptional amounts of rainfall for January,” he said, naming Monastir, Nabeul and the greater Tunis area as the hardest hit.
In the picturesque tourist village of Sidi Bou Said, on the outskirts of the capital, rainfall reached 206 millimetres since Monday evening, the INM reported. Another meteorology official, Mahrez Ghannouchi, described conditions as “critical” in parts of the country.
Images circulating on social media showed cars stranded in fast-moving torrents that turned streets into rivers. Authorities suspended classes in several regions, and transport services were disrupted as flooding cut roads and rail links.
The deluge comes amid a stark climate contrast for Tunisia. After enduring a seven-year drought that sharply depleted dam reserves and forced water cuts, the country is now grappling with extreme rainfall that infrastructure struggles to absorb.
Experts say the climate crisis is intensifying this cycle of drought and deluge, deepening risks to agriculture, drinking water supplies and public safety.