The Sahara has one of the harshest climates in the world.

The prevailing north-easterly wind often

causes sand storms and dust devils.[17] When this wind reaches the Mediterranean, it is known
as sirocco and often reaches hurricane speeds in North Africa and southern Europe. Half of the Sahara
receives less than 20 mm (0.79 in) of rain per year, and the rest receives up to 100 mm (3.9 in) per year.
[18]
 The rainfall happens very rarely, but when it does it is usually torrential when it occurs after long dry
periods.

The southern boundary of the Sahara, as measured by rainfall, was observed to both advance and retreat
between 1980 and 1990. As a result of drought in the Sahel, the southern boundary moved south
130 kilometres (81 mi) overall during that period.[19]

Recent signals indicate that the Sahara and surrounding regions are greening because of increased
rainfall. Satellite imaging shows extensive regreening of the Sahel between 1982 and 2002, and in both
Eastern and Western Sahara a more than 20 year long trend of increased grazing areas and flourishing
trees and shrubs has been observed by climate scientist Stefan Kröpelin. [20]

flora nd fauna

Dromedary camels and goats are the domesticated animals most commonly found in the Sahara.
Because of its qualities of endurance and speed, the dromedary is the favorite animal used by nomads.

The deathstalker scorpion can be 10 cm (3.9 in) long. Its venom contains large amounts
of agitoxin and scyllatoxin and is very dangerous; however, a sting from this scorpion rarely kills a healthy
adult.

Several species of fox live in the Sahara, including the fennec fox, pale fox and Rüppell's fox. The addax,
a large white antelope, can go nearly a year in the desert without drinking. The dorcas gazelle is a north
African gazelle that can also go for a long time without water.

The Saharan cheetah (Northwest African Cheetah) lives in Algeria, Togo, Niger, Mali,Benin, and Burkina

Faso. There remain less than 250 mature cheetahs which are very cautious, fleeing any human presence.
The cheetah avoids the sun from April to October. It then seeks the shelter of shrubs such as balanites
and acacias. They are unusually pale.[32][33]

Other animals include the monitor lizard, hyrax, Sand vipers, and small populations of African Wild
Dog[34] or perhaps only 14 countries.[35]and ostrich. There exist other animals in the Sahara (birds in
particular) such as African Silverbill and Black-throated Firefinch among others. There are also
small desert crocodiles in Mauritania and the Ennedi Plateau of Chad.[36]

The central Sahara is estimated to include five hundred species of plants, which is extremely low
considering the huge extent of the area. Plants such as acacia trees, palms, succulents, spiny shrubs,
and grasses have adapted to the arid conditions, either by reducing water loss or storing water. Plant
leaves may dry out totally and then recover.

Human activities are more likely to affect the habitat in areas of permanent water (oases) or where water
comes close to the surface. Here, the local pressure on natural resources can be intense. The remaining
populations of large mammals have been greatly reduced by hunting for food and recreation. In recent
years development projects have started in the deserts of Algeria and Tunisia using irrigated water
pumped from underground aquifers. These schemes often lead to soil degradation and salinization.