The Balearic Islands' water reserves drop to 54%
Mallorca and Ibiza register decreases, Menorca remains stable and more than 60% of the territory continues in a drought pre-alert situation
PalmaThe water reserves of the Balearic Islands are at 54% in March, four points below February, but slightly above the figure for the same month last year (52%). According to the Ministry of the Water Cycle, the trend is uneven across islands and territories, with general decreases despite a notable episode of rain.
By islands, Mallorca goes from 59% to 54%, while Menorca remains at 48%. In Ibiza, reserves also drop, from 62% to 58%. The drought index for the hydrographic demarcation stands at 0.494, above last year's value (0.478), but below that of two years ago (0.513).
By demand units, only three areas register increases —Menorca, Artà and Manacor-Felanitx—, while seven show decreases, including Migjorn, es Pla, Palma-Alcúdia or the two areas of the Serra de Tramuntana, in addition to Ibiza and Formentera.
Regarding the global situation, 29.1% of the territory —including Formentera, Ibiza, and areas of Tramuntana— is in a normal situation. The majority, 60.7%, is on alert, while 10.2%, corresponding to es Pla, remains on high alert.
Despite this trend, March has been particularly wet. According to data from the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET), an average of 58.8 liters per square meter has been recorded, 65% more than usual. By islands, rainfall has been 67.9 l/m² in Mallorca, 44.6 in Menorca, 33 in Ibiza, and 31.2 in Formentera.
Overall, annual rainfall stands at 105% in the Balearic Islands, with values above average on all islands. The month has also been slightly cold, with an average temperature of 12 ºC.
Looking ahead to April, and taking into account the time of year, a slight increase in water reserves is predicted, while no significant changes are expected in drought scenarios.