Will the latest rain stop the persistent drought?

* The author is part of the community of readers of La Vanguardia.

Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
09 January 2024 Tuesday 15:58
9 Reads
Will the latest rain stop the persistent drought?

* The author is part of the community of readers of La Vanguardia

In La Vanguardia's Readers' Photos we can see this series of photographs, captured in Torelló (Osona), of the downpour that fell this Wednesday, although at the moment it is insufficient. The unknown was to know to what extent it will help the Ges River, the protagonist of the images, gain flow.

And, even more, the question is: Will the latest rain stop the persistent drought?... This same week, the spokesperson for the Generalitat, Patrícia Plaja, warned that Catalonia could enter the emergency phase this January due to the drought if it does not "Very abundant" rainfall will arrive in the coming weeks and the reservoirs will drop to 16% of their capacity.

This Wednesday it rains, when the swamps of the internal Catalan basins are already at precisely 16%. The question is whether the rain that is falling is going to be enough to alleviate this situation or if, on the contrary, exceptional measures are going to be implemented that affect the population regarding water consumption.

Meteocat predicts precipitation this week and next, the most relevant in the form of snow, but they will "hardly" avoid entering this last emergency phase, although they can delay it. The "significant" snowfalls of recent days in the Pyrenees have the handicap that the snow will not turn into water until spring.

For its part, Civil Protection of the Generalitat has asked for caution in the face of the rains this Wednesday and Thursday. They have recommended preparing, checking that downspouts and drains are clean; Be informed and "always" follow the official forecasts and avoid unnecessary trips.

The Servei Meteorològic de Catalunya has reported the arrival of a "disturbance that will give rise to extensive precipitation", as reported in a statement. "It will begin on Wednesday in a dispersed manner, and throughout the day it will spread to the rest until it affects any part of the country," they added.

On Thursday, starting at noon, the precipitation will gradually disappear and will end up moving along the central coastal and pre-coastal area.