2023-05-30 18:32:02
A historic drought and scorching temperatures in the spring, then a major fire in mid-May and now floods. Spain, one of the most vulnerable European countries in the face of global warming, is still bearing the brunt of this upheaval. A wide band running from the northwest to the southeast of the country is placed in Weather Alert this Tuesday, May 30, due to a major rainy episode falling on the Iberian Peninsula.
The showers particularly affected the provinces of Almeria (Andalusia) and Alicante (Valencian Community), with numerous thunderstorms recorded over the weekend. Torrential rains also fell on Madrid, in particular on Monday evening, causing the cutting of certain roads and delays on several metro lines in the capital, affected in places by impressive water infiltration. According the Spanish Meteorological Agency (Aemet), which on Tuesday kept part of the territory in yellow or orange vigilance due in particular to a risk of hail, thunderstorms and violent gales, this rainy episode should continue over the next few days.
Despite a “significant positive contribution to the rainfall deficit”these torrential rains – which tend to run off instead of seeping into the ground – are insufficient and too late to put an end to the deficit suffered by the country’s groundwater and water reservoirs following long weeks without a water drop.
According to the Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition, these reservoirs saw their level drop during the last week of May to 47.5% of their capacity, once morest 47.7% the previous week, i.e. almost 20 points less than the average of the last ten years at this time of year (68.1%).
According to Aemet, Spain experienced the hottest and driest month in April since weather records began in the country. This heat wave followed several months of drought, following a year 2022 considered to be the hottest in recent Spanish history.
Comparable to the “tropicalization” of Italy, under water two weeks ago, this situation prompted the Spanish government to announce in mid-May an emergency plan of more than two billion euros, intended mainly for the sector agriculture – the lack of water having pushed many farmers to give up spring sowing, particularly of cereals and oilseeds.
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