Alex Trelinski
SPAIN’S recent storms have boosted the country’s reservoir capacity to an average of 71.2%.
It’s the biggest March figure since 2015 when it was 76.3% and there’s been an increase of 5% in just a week.
The average figure over the last decade has been below 60% capacity.
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The latest statistics were published on Tuesday by the Ministry for Ecological Transition.
All of Spain’s basins are above the 50% mark except for the Segura in the east of the country which stands at 26.5%, up 2% over a week and 6% more than a year ago.
It is though nearly half the average capacity figure for the last 10 years.
After the Segura, in order of least storage is the Andalucian Mediterranean Basin (51.1%), Guadalete-Barbate (53.2%) and the internal basins of Catalunya (54.2%).
The highest capacity is in the Basque Country (95.2%), Tinto, Odiel and Piedras (94.3%), Ebro (84.3%), Eastern Cantabrian (83.6%) and Tagus (81.8%).
The maximum rainfall recorded in the last week occurred in Navacerrada, with 168.6 mm.
The storms caused numerous reservoirs to open their floodgates, which increased the risk of rivers and riverbeds overflowing.
On the plus side, regions and municipalities have started to lessen water restrictions across Spain.
