This winter in Almeria has been the driest for the last 80 years says the Spanish met office AEMAT.
It technically “hasn’t rained” since last October in the Levante, meaning the dams are way down on where they should be for the year.
The Met office runs a “hydrological year” for rain and dams, which goes from October to October (because the first rains after the summer are traditionally in October, get it?).
The last time this happened was in the 1940-1941 hydrological year, which Brits will remember as the “glorious summer” that accompanied the Battle of Britain.
It has rained further inland, causing snow, which as it melts will resupply the underground aquifers that supply the north and east of the province. But not the dams.
The 2 main dams for this area are rather low: Beninar has 6.31 ha of water (against 19.21 ha of this date last year) and Cuevas 23.43 ha of water (against 31.94 of this date last year).
The Met office has rolled out some facts and figures to support the claim. Huercal Overa met station has accumulated just 30 metres of rain since October, against almost 200 last year. Cuevas 38, against an annual year on year average of about 272. Andarax, up in the mountains, 61 litres against a yearly average of 243.
Traditionally, these dry periods go on for a couple of years and then everything gets swept away in a cloudburst. Should be a bloody hot summer, too.