ENGLAND is not set to have a white Christmas – but snow has fallen in the Sahara desert for only the second time in living memory.

Amateur photographer Karim Bouchetata took incredible pictures of snow covering the sand in the small Saharan desert town of Ain Sefra, Algeria, yesterday afternoon.

He captured the amazing moment snow fell on the red sand dunes in the world’s largest hot desert for the first time in 37 years.

Snow was last seen in Ain Sefra on February 18, 1979, when the snow storm lasted just half an hour.

The Sahara desert sands with snow
The Sahara is expected to be green in 15,000 years
The Sahara Desert covers most of Northern Africa
GEOFF ROBINSON – The Sahara Desert covers most of Northern Africa
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.

Karim said: “Everyone was stunned to see snow falling in the dessert, it is such a rare occurrence.

“It looked amazing as the snow settled on the sand and made a great set of photos.

Snow on Sahara sand dunes
GEOFF ROBINSON – The small town of Ain Sefra is surrounded by the Atlas mountains
“The snow stayed for about a day and has now melted away.”

The Sahara Desert covers most of Northern Africa and it has gone through shifts in temperature and moisture over the past few hundred thousand years.

Although the Sahara is very dry today, it is expected to become green again in about 15000 years.

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