91% of Portugal underneath extreme or excessive drought

Nearly your complete territory of Portugal will quickly be underneath extreme or excessive drought in line with the climate forecast for the tip of February.

The nationwide climate company of Portugal reported on February 21 that 91% of the territory is now underneath extreme or excessive drought.

The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Environment (IPMA) printed its bulletin based mostly on the most recent knowledge up till February 15.

Since October 1, it rained solely 220.8mm on common. It accounts for 39% of regular values calculated from ranges recorded between 1971 and 2000. And the state of affairs has worsened in the previous couple of days.

Through the first half of February, Portugal solely obtained 7% of regular precipitation ranges.

Intervals of droughts aren’t uncommon in Portugal however their frequency elevated over the previous 20 years. The amount of precipitation throughout this winter is to this point worse than earlier droughts throughout winters of 2004-05, 2011-12 and 2017-18.

Greater than half of the territory (52.2%) is now thought of to be in extreme drought and 38.6% in excessive drought, the 2 highest ranges on the index. The remaining 9.2% are in a reasonable drought.

On the finish of December 2021, solely 8.7% of the territory was underneath extreme drought and none underneath excessive drought, exhibiting that the state of affairs has saved worsening up to now few weeks. The worst predictions of the IPMA on the finish of January proved to be appropriate.

The state of affairs significantly hits the Algarve area within the south of Portugal, whereas solely the intense northwest is underneath a reasonable drought.

The state of affairs shouldn’t be anticipated to enhance anytime quickly as there is no such thing as a main precipitation anticipated by the tip of February. “In keeping with climate forecasts, the meteorological drought will very probably proceed on the finish of February, with nearly your complete territory in essentially the most extreme ranks of the IPMA index”, the report concludes.

The Portuguese authorities is already limiting using 5 dams for hydroelectric energy manufacturing, so as to save water for public consumption. Farmers are additionally asking for monetary help due to an absence of grass for his or her livestock.

As such, the ministers of Agriculture of Portugal and Spain on February 21 introduced a set of measures to “reduce” the consequences of the drought within the Iberian Peninsula to the European Fee.

Learn extra about Portugal