SciencePhoto: HT WorldRare 2026 Rain Triggers 17,000 sq km Wildflower Bloom in Chile's Atacama Desert
In 2026, unusually heavy rains caused a rare wildflower bloom across 17,000 square kilometers of Chile's Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth. A 2019 study explained that such blooms occur when the desert receives extraordinary rainfall. The Atacama, normally rocky and barren due to its location between the Pacific Ocean and Andes Mountains, transformed with over 200 plant species flowering after the rain, influenced by a super El Niño event.
HT World·



