Snow Falls In The Sahara Desert For The First Time In 37 Years

Snow has fallen in the Sahara desert for only the second time in living memory.

Amateur photographer Karim Bouchetata took these pictures of snow covering the sands in the small Saharan desert town of Ain Sefra, Algeria, on Monday afternoon.

It marks the first time snow has fallen on the famous dunes which make up the world’s largest hot desert for 37 years.

Snow was last seen in Ain Sefra, known as “The Gateway to the Desert,” on February 18, 1979, when the snow storm lasted just half an hour.

This time the snow stayed for a day in the town, which is around 1000 metres above sea level and surrounded by the Atlas Mountains.

The Sahara desert can reach temperatures of up to 122 degrees Farenheit (50 degrees Celsius.)