The Balearics are drying up: water reserves fall to 38% and only Formentera remains in normality

PalmaThe Balearic water reserves have dropped to 38% during the month of August, one point less than in July and two points below the level recorded a year ago. The situation has worsened in all the Islands: Mallorca goes from 39% to 38%; Menorca, from 34% to 33%, and Ibiza, from 42% to 37%.

The decrease in reserves has also caused the drought index in the ten demand units of the Balearic Islands to worsen and has caused two scenario changes. Artà enters an alert situation, while Tramuntana Sud moves from normality to pre-alert.

With these changes, only Formentera remains in a normal situation. Menorca, Palma-Alcúdia, Tramuntana North, Tramuntana South, and Ibiza are in pre-alert, while Artà, el Pla, Manacor-Felanitx, and Migjorn are on alert.

In territorial terms, only 1.6% of the Balearic Islands is in a normal situation. 60.8% of the territory is in pre-alert and 37.6% is on alert.

The global index of the Hydrographic Demarcation stands at 0.342, above the 0.330 recorded a year ago, but below the 0.364 of August 2024.

An extremely hot August

According to data from the State Meteorological Agency, the Archipelago has recorded this year the warmest August since 1961, with an average temperature of 28.3 ºC and a thermal anomaly of 2.7 ºC (Aemet).

The organization classifies the month as extremely warm and points out that all the Islands have recorded a temperature above the usual ones. 9.6 liters per square meter have been recorded, compared to the 21.4 liters per square meter of the climatic average, which represents a precipitation deficit of 55%.

By islands, Mallorca has registered 8.8 liters per square meter, compared to an average of 21.1; Menorca, 6.1 liters, compared to the usual 16.2; Ibiza, 7.1 liters, compared to 23.7, and Formentera, 10 liters, compared to an average of 13.4.

Despite the dry nature of the month, the accumulated interannual precipitation in the Balearic Islands stands at 99% of the climatic average. By islands, the percentage is 95% in Mallorca, 102% in Menorca, and 120% in the Pityusic Islands.

Regarding temperature, August has been extremely warm, with an average temperature of 28.3 degrees and a positive anomaly of 2.7 degrees. It has been the warmest August in the Balearic Islands since 1961.