Last week's rains shore up Costa del Sol and Malaga province's water reserves for summer

The storms in Spain that began last Saturday and Sunday (27 and 28 April), and which offered their last downpour during the public holiday on 1 May, have left accumulated rainfall of up to 20mm in Malaga province, , according to data from the Junta de Andalucía's Hidrosur Network.

The rain that fell in April has made it possible to feed and keep alive the runoff from the rivers and streams on their way to the province's reservoirs, which are still increasing. This has made it possible not only to irrigate the fields and reduce urban consumption, but also to shore up reserves for the summer. From now on, it is unlikely that any new weather front of any significance will arrive to bring more rain.

The net gain in the last week has not been huge, at around one cubic hectometre, and it has been distributed mainly between the reservoirs of La Concepción (which supplies the western strip of the Costa del Sol) and La Viñuela (Axarquía). In fact, both reservoirs continue to gain runoff. rainfall.

The storms last Saturday left a maximum of 16mm in Alcaucín; more than 10mm in La Viñuela and 9mm in the Benamargosa river. Therefore, the Axarquia was the area that benefited most from this latest episode. This allowed the Axarquia reservoir to add 0.3 Hm3, up to 31.6 as of Thursday afternoon (19.2%), according to the water resources management service of the Junta de Andalucía. And the best thing is that this figure continues to grow.

Last Sunday, once again, the eastern area of the province benefited the most from a downpour that even saw small hailstones in the area east of Malaga city and accumulated almost 8mm in Alfarnatejo, which also benefited the same reservoir.

The other major points of interest last weekend were on the western Costa del , with 13mm in Mijas Pueblo; 11.5 in Los Reales de Sierra Bermeja; and 10 in the Sierra de Mijas (very good for the important aquifers in this area) and in Pujerra (Serranía de Ronda). At Malaga Airport, 8mm were recorded, according to Aemet and Hidrosur data.

The last of the spring storms on Wednesday, 1 May, brought up to 20 mm in places such as Cañete la Real; 18 in the Guadalhorce river as it passes through Bobadilla; 15mm in the same riverbed, but in Archidona; more than 13 in the Fuente de Piedra lake and 11 in El Torcal de Antequera. In addition to these, some of which will flow into the reservoirs of the Guadalhorce system, water has also been collected in the Guadalteba (8) and Conde (7) reservoirs. These directly supply Malaga city.

La Concepción reservoir on the Costa del Sol, was the reservoir that gained the most, exceeding 43.1 Hm3 (at 75 per cent of its capacity) after having added 0.6 Hm3 in the last few days (and it continues on an upward trend). The most notable thing in this case is that it is already very close to the level it had at the same time last year (43.7).

Added to this is the increased capacity of the Marbella desalination plant, which this summer will produce twice as much fresh water as in the high season of 2023, so consumption is more than guaranteed for the high tourist season.

As for the Guadalhorce system, there have also been small gains, thanks to the rain that fell on 1 May, when the storm was concentrated in this area. The most notable is that of the Conde de Guadalhorce, which had gained 0.2 Hm3 up to yesterday.