Severe flooding across Tunisia has claimed four lives, authorities said on Tuesday, as record-breaking rainfall forced the closure of schools and businesses in large parts of the country.
All four deaths were reported in the town of Moknine, in the Monastir governorate. Civil defence spokesperson Khalil Mechri said two people were swept away by floodwaters, while a woman drowned inside her home.
Meteorological officials said the rainfall was unprecedented. Abderazak Rahal, head of forecasting at Tunisia’s National Institute of Meteorology (INM), told AFP that some regions had not experienced such heavy rain since 1950. He described the January rainfall totals as exceptional, with Monastir, Nabeul and the greater Tunis area among the worst affected.
Neighbouring Algeria has also been hit by heavy downpours, with civil defence authorities confirming the death of a man in his sixties in flooding in the northwestern province of Relizane.
Across Tunisia, images of submerged streets and stranded vehicles spread widely on social media. Tunis resident Mostafa Riyahi said rain had fallen continuously since the previous night, leaving parts of his home flooded by morning.
In response to the worsening conditions, authorities suspended classes on Wednesday in public and private schools and universities across 15 of Tunisia’s 24 governorates. Transport services were disrupted in several areas, while the Tunisian army joined rescue efforts, according to a defence ministry source.
INM official Mahrez Ghannouchi warned that conditions were “critical” in some regions. In the coastal tourist village of Sidi Bou Said near Tunis, 206 millimetres of rain was recorded between Monday evening and Tuesday.
While the rainfall has shattered records, flooding remains a recurring problem in Tunisia due to ageing and poorly maintained drainage systems. Rapid urban expansion, clogged stormwater networks and reduced soil absorption have worsened runoff during heavy storms.
The floods come despite Tunisia enduring a prolonged seven-year drought, intensified by climate change. Water reserves in dams have dropped sharply, leading to severe water stress that has affected agriculture and drinking water supplies, with restrictions imposed in several regions in recent summers.
