Heaviest snowfall in 20 years for Lesotho, Africa

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Lesotho has experienced its heaviest snowfall in 20 years.

Tourists had to be airlifted and several shepherds died lost their lives due to the storm in this hilly, high-altitude kingdom completely surrounded by South Africa.

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A winter storm dumped more snow on Lesotho in late July than has been seen in any snow event since 1996.

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This particular snowfall is an extreme event since the country hasn’t had something like this in a long time.

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At least eight tourists were airlifted and the deaths of several shepherds in the Joe Gqabi District Municipality as a result of the heavy snow that fell on July 27, 2016.

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It has been at least two decades since a storm of this magnitude hit the area.

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But noted that things are very different today because of how quickly the snow melts at altitudes above 5,900 feet and how infrequently the area receives any snow compared with years past.

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News reports did not say how much snow fell in the country, but it was more than enough to cover the higher elevations.

Lesotho tends to have mild winters.

But the severe drought in recent years may be a contributing factor in the infrequency of heavier snowfalls.

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