A prolonged drought that has dried up fields and led to water restrictions in Spain since 2021 may soon come to an end, thanks to recent heavy rainfall, the national weather agency AEMET said on Tuesday.
Comparing annual precipitation levels with rainfall over the past year, ‘we cannot speak of drought in Spain’, AEMET spokesman Ruben del Campo said during a press conference.
However, when considering a longer timeframe that factors in rainfall over the last three years, the ‘amount of rain accumulated … remains below normal’ in the country, which has been significantly impacted by the climate crisis.
‘With the amount of rain falling now in March, it cannot be ruled out that this situation ends up being reversed,’ the AEMET spokesman noted, adding that ‘it is probable that we emerge in March’ from the long-term drought.
Spain has already received as much rainfall in the first nine days of March as it typically does in the entire month, he said.
The recent wet weather follows Spain’s rainiest October on record, which resulted in catastrophic floods in the eastern Valencia region. The disaster claimed 232 lives, according to government figures. ALSO READ: Tens of thousands rally against leader of flood-hit Valencia – the 5th major protest.
Scientists warn that human-induced climate change is intensifying extreme weather events, including prolonged droughts and severe flooding.
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