Storm Celia's rainfall deposits enough water for one month in Malaga reservoirs

More than 100mm of rain has fallen in some inland areas of Malaga province in recent days and this has eased the situation in the reservoirs, where it was most needed. By midday on Tuesday they had gained eight cubic hectometres, which is more or less the amount that people in the province use in one month (the estimated total per year is 120 Hm3) according to the Junta de Andalucía, which is responsible for managing the water resources in the Mediterranean Basin.

This is good news, because it has broken the seemingly endless clear skies, but it is definitely nowhere near enough to put an end to the drought. Although the rain in the last two days, together with the water flowing into the reservoirs, will raise the levels in the next few weeks, it is still unlikely that they will contain enough for the restrictions to be lifted, only that the situation for the forthcoming tourist season will not be as bad as feared. As a reference, this time last year, which was also very dry, the reservoirs contained a total of 365 Hm3, which was 45 per cent more than at present.

The bad news is that the reservoir most affected by the lack of water, La Viñuela, is also receiving the least at the moment. Since the start of this recent rain, it has only gained 0.5 Hm3, a tiny contribution to the amount it needs.