Reservoir levels experience largest increase this year due to recent storms

In a much-needed relief for drought-stricken Spain, a series of powerful storms named Babet, Celine, and Bernard have delivered a significant increase in reservoir levels across the country. The recent rainfall, a welcome change from the ongoing dry spell, has provided a vital boost to water supplies.

Over the past week, these storms crossed the country, drenching it with copious amounts of rainfall. This deluge has played a crucial role in alleviating the prolonged drought situation. The Ministry for the Ecological Transition revealed that Spain's dammed water supplies have surged by 2.33% in the last seven days, equivalent to an additional 1,306 cubic hectometers (hm³) of water. As a result, the reservoirs now stand at 37.92% of their total capacity, with a combined volume of 21,251 hm³.

This remarkable increase represents the most substantial surge in Spanish reservoir levels in the past ten months. The last notable rise occurred in December 2022 when Storm Efrain caused a 6.3% increase in levels.

While this increase is a positive development, the overall situation in Spain remains concerning when compared to historical averages. Over the past ten years, the average reservoir level for this week was 48.03% of total capacity, with 26,915 hm³. These figures are currently unattainable due to the recent drought.

However, it's worth noting that the situation was even direr last year when reservoirs stood at 32.19% of capacity and held 18,038 hm³, which was 5.7%age points and 3,213 hm³ less than the current levels.

Despite the overall increase, some basins on the mainland have not benefited from the rainfall and remain at the same levels as the previous week, while others have seen a decline.

For example, the Segura basin fell by 0.5% to 21.8%, the internal Catalan basins decreased by 0.4% to 19.5%, the Andalucian Mediterranean supply fell by 0.3% to 21.9%, and the Júcar basin dropped by 0.2% to 46.6%.

On a more positive note, the Galicia Costa reservoir experienced an outstanding increase of 16.7% in just one week, reaching a capacity of 78.8%. Similarly, the Western Cantabrian Sea reservoir saw a rise of 10.7%, reaching 82%, making it the reservoir with the most favourable data in all of Spain.

Several other reservoirs, such as the Eastern Cantabrian, Basque Country internal supplies, and the Guadalete-Barbate reservoir, maintained their levels, while the latter, at 15.1%, continues to be the one with the most challenging situation in the country.