Recent rains do little to alleviate situation in drought-stricken Axarquía and Malaga province

Last weekend’s storm left significant rainfall in inland areas of Malaga province, with La Viñuela reservoir in the drought stricken Axarquía, to the east of Malaga, collecting almost 20mm. Other places to see significant rainfall were Cortes de la Frontera (41mm, split between the two days); 23mm in Los Reales de Sierra Bermeja; 21mm in Pujerra; 18 in the river Benamargosa (also in the Axarquía) and over 16mm in the river Turón, in Ardales, according to data from the Andalusian Hidrosur Network.

However, the rainfall has made little difference to the area’s reservoirs. According to the balance of accumulated water that Hidrosur published on Monday 23 October only the Conde de Guadalhorce reservoir has obtained a net gain (of 0.03 cubic hectometres); while the rest have continued to lose, although at a much lower level than in previous weeks.

In total, from 19 to 23 October, 0.94 Hm3 were consumed, at a rate of 0.25 in La Concepción (which supplies the western Costa del Sol); 0.35 in Guadalteba (one of the three in the Guadalhorce system which supplies Malaga city); 0.3 in El Conde and just 0.02 in the Axarquía reservoir.

The other major meteorological event on Sunday was the wind, although Malaga and Jaén were the Andalusian provinces with the fewest incidents. According to Emergencias 112, only 30 weather-related incidents were reported. In Andalucía as a whole there were about 1,500.

The reports were mainly for falling branches and street furniture and came from Antequera, Archidona, Benalmádena, Cártama, Coín, Málaga, Mijas, Mollina, Ronda, Valle de Abdalajís, Vélez-Málaga, Villanueva Del Rosario and Villanueva Del Trabuco.