In the middle of winter

Unusual: Atacama Desert is in full bloom

(Bild: AFP/Patricio LOPEZ CASTILLO)

The Atacama Desert in northern Chile has rolled out a carpet of purple flowers covering several square kilometers for visitors - unusually early in the year.

The Atacama Desert in northern Chile, known as the driest desert in the world, is currently showing off its spectacular, lush splendor. Abundant rainfall has transformed the desert into a purple sea of flowers that stretches over several square kilometers.

Low-hanging clouds create a botanical sensation
The eleven to twelve millimetres of rain in April and low-hanging clouds have made this botanical sensation possible. César Pizarro from the Chilean forestry authority told the AFP news agency that these conditions had "activated" the plants. The phenomenon of the flowering Atacama Desert has been known for a long time, but it usually only occurs in September - the last time it bloomed this early was in 2015.

Normally, rain at the beginning of spring in the southern hemisphere causes large quantities of dormant seeds and tubers to germinate or sprout.

(Bild: AFP/Patricio LOPEZ CASTILLO)

Within a short time, countless yellow, blue and purple flowers and herbs bloom, transforming the desert into a sea of blossoms.

(Bild: AFP/Patricio LOPEZ CASTILLO)

Currently, around 300 to 400 square kilometers of the desert are in bloom, while the annual "blooming desert" normally covers an area of around 15,000 square kilometers. At the height of this natural spectacle, over 200 plant species are in bloom, but currently the bright purple "guanaco paw paw", which hardly needs any water, dominates almost exclusively.

Climate change responsible?
It is now questionable whether climate change is responsible for the unusually early rainfall. In any case, scientists are now investigating whether this winter bloom, last observed in the Chilean winter of 2015, is directly linked to climate change or the weather phenomena El Niño or La Niña.