Weather

Driest summer in the Balearics for thirty years

The Gorg Blau reservoir isn't gaining any more capacity, as dry weather has continued.

The Gorg Blau reservoir isn't gaining any more capacity, as dry weather has continued. | Pau Figuerola

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma21/09/2016 00:00
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One doesn't expect summers in the Balearics to be wet, but there is some rain and it can help to top up water resources. These, as we are all too well aware, are depleted because of the very dry autumn and winter of 2015 and into 2016, and as the new autumn begins (officially at 16.21 on Thursday), news comes from the Aemet meteorology agency that this has been the driest summer in the Balearics since 1985 and the fourth driest since 1952. Rainfall has been just over eight litres per square metre. It is typically around 40 litres.

The lack of summer rain has been most extreme in Minorca, where there has been 86% less rainfall. In Majorca, the deficit has been 79%. The Aemet forecast for the autumn is that rainfall will be "normal" (an average of 218 litres), which is more encouraging than if it were less than normal. The temperatures are expected to be above normal, though, the agency predicting that this will be the case across Spain as a whole.

The highest temperature in the Balearics during the summer was 39.3C. This was registered at Palma airport on 21 July and also in Formentera on 5 September, a reflection of the exceptionally high temperatures early this month.

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