Mar 02, 2024 at 3:32 PM Update: 2 hours ago
The Spanish region of Catalonia is experiencing extreme drought: hardly any rain has fallen for three years. The good news: only a little rain is now needed to prevent further emergency measures regarding water use.
“We need very little rain to avoid getting into phase two,” David Mascort said. He is head of the environment of the Catalan regional government.
The first phase of emergency restrictions, which were imposed from the beginning of this month, required residents to reduce their water consumption by 5 percent. Farmers had to reduce consumption by up to 80 percent. If no precipitation falls now, the area will have to take even stricter measures. This state of emergency applies to more than six million residents, including the capital Barcelona.
To ensure that these measures are not necessary, so much rain would have to fall that the water reservoirs would be 20 percent full. Now it is 15 percent. Furthermore, the tap water has not been drinkable in several places since December.
Some rain is expected in the area, but it is unclear how much. Also, not every weather website reports the same thing.
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Aerial images show drought in Catalonia, water use restricted
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Beeld: Getty Images
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2024-03-02 14:32:00
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