The amount of rain that has fallen in Spain has been below the annual average for three years. The result: many reservoirs in the Iberian country are almost empty, the drinking water supply of millions of people is in serious danger.
According to the Agencia Estatal de Meteorologia (AEMET), Spain’s state meteorological service, the Iberian country has entered a prolonged drought. Heat records were broken in series as early as mid-March. Tourists and locals were almost 30 degrees on the beaches, even the first tropical night of the year was already registered. The northeast of Spain is particularly affected by the drought.
Levels in reservoirs have dropped dramatically
Due to the prolonged drought, many rivers hardly carry any water and the level in many reservoirs has dropped drastically. This is also the case in the Pantà de Sau, a reservoir of the river Ter in the province of Barcelona, which is an important source of water supply in Catalonia. It is currently only nine percent full, Spanish media report.
Because hardly any water comes up, people have recently started fishing out the fish in the reservoir. “If we do nothing and it doesn’t rain, the fish will die anyway and that will affect the water quality,” Jordi Ruiz of the regional government told the Catalan daily El Periodico. “There has never been such a serious situation at the Sau reservoir, it is an extreme scenario,” warns Elisabet Mas, an expert at the Catalan water board ACA.
Sunken buildings visible again
Because the water level in Sau-Stausee is so exorbitantly low, the ruins that were once under water, such as church towers and bridges, are coming to light again. Navigation apps inform walkers in the middle of the dam where they can currently walk in dry shoes, photos in Spanish media show people flying kites in the middle of the riverbed.
The dry and warm winter is already leading to drought in Southern and Western Europe. The effects are already visible in France, Spain and northern Italy, according to a report from the EU Commission presented on Monday.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
