Go Back
  • For Business
  • |
  • Warnings
  • Data Suite
  • Forensics
  • Advertising
  • Superior Accuracy™
Flash floods kill 2 in New Jersey, strand subway riders in NYC Chevron right
Tropical rainstorm soaks Florida, could strengthen in Gulf before targeting Louisiana Chevron right

Columbus, OH

89°F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Columbus

Ohio

89°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Columbus, OH Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

For Business

Warnings

Data Suite

Forensics

Advertising

Superior Accuracy™

Video

Winter Center

AccuWeather Early Hurricane Center Top Stories Trending Today Astronomy Heat Climate Health Recreation In Memoriam Case Studies Blogs & Webinars
Air Quality Alert

News / Weather News

The driest desert on the planet is in bloom

Swaths of the Atacama Desert’s usually barren sand are currently carpeted with a colorful bloom of white and purple flowers.

By Laura Paddison, CNN

Published Jul 10, 2024 10:45 AM EDT | Updated Jul 10, 2024 10:45 AM EDT

Copied

The desert blooms every couple of years when rainfall and temperatures are the right levels to awaken the dormant seeds. (Rodrigo Gutierrez/Reuters via CNN Newsource)

(CNN) — The Atacama Desert in northern Chile is one of the driest places on Earth, but swaths of its usually barren sand are currently carpeted with a colorful bloom of white and purple flowers.

The Atacama Desert is known as the Disierto Florida (the “flowering desert”) because every few years it’s blanketed with flowers, when the right levels of rainfall and temperature coincide to awaken dormant desert seeds.

This usually happens in the spring. But the current bloom is unusually early — in the middle of the Southern Hemisphere’s winter — thanks to rainfall fueled by El Niño, a natural climate phenomenon that influences global weather.

The bloom usually coincides with El Niño, during which temperatures are warmer in the region, leading to more evaporation and, in turn, more rainfall.

The Atacama Desert in northern Chile is one of the driest places on Earth, but swaths of its usually barren sand are currently carpeted with a colorful bloom of white and purple flowers. (Rodrigo Gutierrez/Reuters via CNN Newsource)

Over the past 40 years, around 15 blooming events have happened, according to a 2022 analysis from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.

The blooms are not yet extensive enough to officially be considered part of the “flowering desert,” Cesar Pizarro, who heads biodiversity conservation for the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF), an organization run by the Chilean government, told Reuters.

But more rain is expected, meaning the flowers could spread over a larger area, he added.

The Atacama desert during a natural phenomenon known as 'Desierto Florido' (flowering desert), which fills the driest desert in the world with flowers and plants, near Copiapo, Chile, July 6. (Rodrigo Gutierrez/Reuters via CNN Newsource)

In 2022, the Chilean government announced the creation of a new national park in the Atacama desert, in an effort to protect these rare blooms along with the wildlife — including insects, reptiles and birds — they help support.

Continue Reading:

Motorcyclist dies from suspected heat exposure in Death Valley
What it’s really like to live in Antarctica
Meet the photographer who documents the world from 12,000 feet

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

Report a Typo

Weather News

Weather News

Inside the grueling recovery effort after Texas’ deadly flood

Jul. 15, 2025
Severe Weather

Flash flooding swamps Northeast metro areas as extreme rain threatens ...

Jul. 15, 2025
Weather Forecasts

Flood-weary Texas finally drying out, but near 100-degree heat looms

Jul. 15, 2025
Weather News

The Deadliest Floods in Texas History: A State at Risk

Jul. 14, 2025
video

Before-and-after pictures show devastation caused by Texas floods

Jul. 9, 2025
Severe Weather

Severe weather to rumble in the central US through the holiday weekend

Jul. 6, 2025
Weather News

Record sargassum seaweed piles up on Caribbean islands, Gulf

Jul. 2, 2025
Weather News

Alabama teen in ICU after lightning strike hits boat, causing burns an...

Jul. 2, 2025
Show more Show less Chevron down

Topics

AccuWeather Early

Hurricane Center

Top Stories

Trending Today

Astronomy

Heat

Climate

Health

Recreation

In Memoriam

Case Studies

Blogs & Webinars

Top Stories

Weather News

Inside the grueling recovery effort after Texas’ deadly flood

3 hours ago

Weather Forecasts

Flood-weary Texas finally drying out, but near 100-degree heat looms

26 minutes ago

Hurricane

Tropical Rainstorm to drench Florida, Gulf Coast

33 minutes ago

Weather News

Grand Canyon fires force closures

10 hours ago

Weather Forecasts

Flash flood dangers far from over as storms reload across US

49 minutes ago

More Stories

Featured Stories

Astronomy

Noctilucent clouds shimmer in summer sky

1 day ago

Recreation

Yellowstone’s landscape shifts again with discovery of new hot pool

1 day ago

Weather News

Orcas are bringing humans gifts of food – but why?

4 days ago

Weather News

Giant shoes found spark mystery around the soldiers of ancient Rome

1 day ago

Weather News

It’s not just humans – chimpanzees also like to follow trends

1 day ago

AccuWeather Weather News The driest desert on the planet is in bloom
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
© 2025 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | About Your Privacy Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

...

...

...