Rainfall in the Region of Murcia will be half the normal level for the rest of the year
A new hydrological system in the Region can predict the amount of rain that will fall in the coming months
The puddles from the latest storms might still not yet be dry in the Region of Murcia, but the experts have warned that the end of the wet spell is in sight, with the local reservoirs only expected to get around half of the normal amount of rainfall in the next six months.
This is according to a new prediction system launched by the Ministry for Ecological Transition, which has collaborated with the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) to forecast the amount of natural water contributions the Region can expect between now and the end of the year.
Their calculations forecast that the average rainfall in Murcia will be 54% below normal by November, which is considerably less than the Spanish average of 58%.
The new seasonal hydrological prediction system has used 80 control points in the river basin districts to estimate the amount of rain that can be expected, four of which are in the Segura. Here, based on data from previous years, this reservoir will be 22% lower than usual.
But the most worrying outlook is for the Guadalquivir basin, which will have 62% less water by the end of the year.
The Segura is faring better than most reserves in southern Spain since it was hit with torrential rain over the past couple of weeks. May was actually wetter than all of the previous seven months combined (the hydrological year starts in October) and although a staggering 186 litres per square metre was recorded, it’s still a far cry from the average rainfall of 369 litres.
Aside from doing very little to alleviate the drought, the driving rain and hailstorms have caused extensive damage to arable land, destroying fruit and melon crops and leading to extensive flooding that has made farming nigh on impossible.
Find all the latest weather and climate change news here or join our Murcia Weather Watch Facebook group for regular updates
Image: @chsriosegura / Twitter
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