Cristina Hodgson
MARCH has been the wettest month of the hydrological year so far, seeing four times more rain than average for this time of the year.
The average rainfall for March in Malaga is set at 52 litres per square metre, this year 208 litres per square metre has been collected.
According to the Junta’s Hidrosur network, this abundance of water over the last two weeks has given the province’s water reserves, which are now at 48% of their capacity, some respite.
In total, the reservoirs have accumulated 295.77 hectometres per cubic metre and are approaching last year’s levels of 363.77 hectometres per cubic metre.
By area, La Concepcion reservoir, which supplies the Western Costa del Sol, together with the Guadalhorce-Guadalteba system which supplies Malaga city have benefited the most. With both now at 85% or their capacity, guaranteeing summer water supply for tourism on Spain’s Costa del Sol and Malaga city.
On the eastern side, the La Viñuela reservoir which supplies La Axarquia region continues to struggle to benefit from the recent rains, gaining only 4Hm3, leaving the reservoir with a total of 27.79 Hm3— barely 17% capacity—while last year it was 53.84 Hm3.
Despite the abundance of rain in recent weeks, weather expert Jesus Riesco, director of AEMET Malaga, has highlighted that it has only rained 60% of what is expected annually in a hydrological year, which runs from October to October, meaning that Malaga is still 40% short of it’s annual rainfall
“And that the months in which more rain is expected have already passed.” he said.
READ MORE:
- Latest rains guarantee summer water supply for tourism on Spain’s Costa del Sol
- Recent rainfall leaves five months worth of water in Spain’s Malaga reservoirs
- Wettest March in 72 years in Spain’s Costa Blanca and Valencia areas
