Latest news with #delCampo
Nahar Net
26-03-2025
- Climate
- Nahar Net
A parched Spain has emerged from drought only to face floods
by Naharnet Newsdesk 26 March 2025, 14:36 As Spain choked on stubborn drought last year, a reservoir north of Barcelona emptied, revealing a medieval church. But in the last few weeks, rising waters have again covered the Sant Roma de Sau church as the country's weather took an abrupt turn. Drought relief came at a price, as flash floods forced hundreds of people to evacuate their homes, closed schools and highways and swept cars away. While it can be difficult to identify climate change as the cause of a single event, scientists say it is making such swings between dryness and downpour ever more extreme. The recent floods took place just months after a deadly deluge in Valencia. Here's a look at the volatile weather that led Spain out of a drought. How unusual were the recent storms? In the first 18 days of March, Spain received more than double the rainfall it normally gets in the month, according to Spain's national weather agency AEMET. That included in normally arid parts of the country such as the southern Andalusia region where rivers swollen from rainfall prompted authorities to evacuate hundreds of people from their homes. Madrid got more rain in the first three weeks of March than any month since records began in 1893, said Rubén del Campo, a meteorologist and spokesperson at AEMET. But weather swings are a fact of life in Spain. "The blessing and curse of the Spanish climate is exactly that," said Daniel Argüeso, a climate scientist at Spain's University of the Balearic Islands. "We have these periods of extended drought that usually end with these kinds of situations. Having said that, the rain we had in March has been quite exceptional." What does it mean for the drought? For now, the drought that began in 2023 is over. Reservoirs around the country are around 66% full on average, according to Spain's environment and ecological transition ministry. That's better than they have been in a decade, del Campo said. In Catalonia, the Sau reservoir that supplies water to Barcelona is now about 48% full, compared to less than 5% at the same time last year. That's good news for Jordi Galabardes and his wife Montse Bufils, who live in the nearby village of San Martin Sescorts, in Catalonia. Last year, they couldn't water their garden due to water restrictions. "In just three weeks, it's filled up a lot, which gives hope that we can recover all this," Galabardes said on Monday near the reservoir's edge. How long the country's water reserves remain at healthy levels depends on factors like how much more springtime rain the country gets and just how hot and dry the summer is. But climate scientists predict that Spain will likely stay free of water restrictions at least through the summer. "We've come out of drought, but it's not that there is a huge excess of water," del Campo said. "Spain is a country where water resources are never abundant." Is climate change causing Spain's volatile weather? Climate change is likely making Spain's fluctuations more intense, climate scientists say. Around the world, rising temperatures stoked by climate change are speeding up the hydrological cycle in which water moves between Earth and the atmosphere. That is triggering more extreme weather, such as prolonged droughts and intense rainfall, climate scientists say. A warmer atmosphere can also hold more water, about 7% more for every degree Celsius, scientists say. That means when it does rain, it's more likely to be heavy. "We can now go several months without a drop of rain, and then have a major storm again in the summer," said Jorge Olcina, a geography professor at the University of Alicante in Spain. "In other words, we're losing the regularity of the rains." But attributing a single event like the rainfall this month to climate change remains difficult, in part due to Spain's natural weather extremes, Argüeso said. "The fact that the variability is so large is an obstacle in measuring climate change," he said.
The Independent
26-03-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
A parched Spain has emerged from drought only to face floods
As Spain choked on stubborn drought last year, a reservoir north of Barcelona emptied, revealing a medieval church. But in the last few weeks, rising waters have again covered the Sant Roma de Sau church as the country's weather took an abrupt turn. Drought relief came at a price, as flash floods forced hundreds of people to evacuate their homes, closed schools and highways and swept cars away. While it can be difficult to identify climate change as the cause of a single event, scientists say it is making such swings between dryness and downpour ever more extreme. The recent floods took place just months after a deadly deluge in Valencia. Here's a look at the volatile weather that led Spain out of a drought. How unusual were the recent storms? In the first 18 days of March, Spain received more than double the rainfall it normally gets in the month, according to Spain's national weather agency AEMET. That included in normally arid parts of the country such as the southern Andalusia region where rivers swollen from rainfall prompted authorities to evacuate hundreds of people from their homes. Madrid got more rain in the first three weeks of March than any month since records began in 1893, said Rubén del Campo, a meteorologist and spokesperson at AEMET. But weather swings are a fact of life in Spain. 'The blessing and curse of the Spanish climate is exactly that,' said Daniel Argüeso, a climate scientist at Spain's University of the Balearic Islands. "We have these periods of extended drought that usually end with these kinds of situations. Having said that, the rain we had in March has been quite exceptional.' What does it mean for the drought? For now, the drought that began in 2023 is over. Reservoirs around the country are around 66% full on average, according to Spain's environment and ecological transition ministry. That's better than they have been in a decade, del Campo said. In Catalonia, the Sau reservoir that supplies water to Barcelona is now about 48% full, compared to less than 5% at the same time last year. That's good news for Jordi Galabardes and his wife Montse Bufils, who live in the nearby village of San Martin Sescorts, in Catalonia. Last year, they couldn't water their garden due to water restrictions. 'In just three weeks, it's filled up a lot, which gives hope that we can recover all this," Galabardes said on Monday near the reservoir's edge. How long the country's water reserves remain at healthy levels depends on factors like how much more springtime rain the country gets and just how hot and dry the summer is. But climate scientists predict that Spain will likely stay free of water restrictions at least through the summer. 'We've come out of drought, but it's not that there is a huge excess of water,' del Campo said. 'Spain is a country where water resources are never abundant.' Is climate change causing Spain's volatile weather? Climate change is likely making Spain's fluctuations more intense, climate scientists say. Around the world, rising temperatures stoked by climate change are speeding up the hydrological cycle in which water moves between Earth and the atmosphere. That is triggering more extreme weather, such as prolonged droughts and intense rainfall, climate scientists say. A warmer atmosphere can also hold more water, about 7% more for every degree Celsius, scientists say. That means when it does rain, it's more likely to be heavy. 'We can now go several months without a drop of rain, and then have a major storm again in the summer," said Jorge Olcina, a geography professor at the University of Alicante in Spain. "In other words, we're losing the regularity of the rains.' But attributing a single event like the rainfall this month to climate change remains difficult, in part due to Spain's natural weather extremes, Argüeso said. 'The fact that the variability is so large is an obstacle in measuring climate change,' he said. ___ Naishadham reported from Madrid.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
A parched Spain has emerged from drought only to face floods
VILANOVA DE SAU, Spain (AP) — As Spain choked on stubborn drought last year, a reservoir north of Barcelona emptied, revealing a medieval church. But in the last few weeks, rising waters have again covered the Sant Roma de Sau church as the country's weather took an abrupt turn. Drought relief came at a price, as flash floods forced hundreds of people to evacuate their homes, closed schools and highways and swept cars away. While it can be difficult to identify climate change as the cause of a single event, scientists say it is making such swings between dryness and downpour ever more extreme. The recent floods took place just months after a deadly deluge in Valencia. Here's a look at the volatile weather that led Spain out of a drought. How unusual were the recent storms? In the first 18 days of March, Spain received more than double the rainfall it normally gets in the month, according to Spain's national weather agency AEMET. That included in normally arid parts of the country such as the southern Andalusia region where rivers swollen from rainfall prompted authorities to evacuate hundreds of people from their homes. Madrid got more rain in the first three weeks of March than any month since records began in 1893, said Rubén del Campo, a meteorologist and spokesperson at AEMET. But weather swings are a fact of life in Spain. 'The blessing and curse of the Spanish climate is exactly that,' said Daniel Argüeso, a climate scientist at Spain's University of the Balearic Islands. "We have these periods of extended drought that usually end with these kinds of situations. Having said that, the rain we had in March has been quite exceptional.' What does it mean for the drought? For now, the drought that began in 2023 is over. Reservoirs around the country are around 66% full on average, according to Spain's environment and ecological transition ministry. That's better than they have been in a decade, del Campo said. In Catalonia, the Sau reservoir that supplies water to Barcelona is now about 48% full, compared to less than 5% at the same time last year. That's good news for Jordi Galabardes and his wife Montse Bufils, who live in the nearby village of San Martin Sescorts, in Catalonia. Last year, they couldn't water their garden due to water restrictions. 'In just three weeks, it's filled up a lot, which gives hope that we can recover all this," Galabardes said on Monday near the reservoir's edge. How long the country's water reserves remain at healthy levels depends on factors like how much more springtime rain the country gets and just how hot and dry the summer is. But climate scientists predict that Spain will likely stay free of water restrictions at least through the summer. 'We've come out of drought, but it's not that there is a huge excess of water,' del Campo said. 'Spain is a country where water resources are never abundant.' Is climate change causing Spain's volatile weather? Climate change is likely making Spain's fluctuations more intense, climate scientists say. Around the world, rising temperatures stoked by climate change are speeding up the hydrological cycle in which water moves between Earth and the atmosphere. That is triggering more extreme weather, such as prolonged droughts and intense rainfall, climate scientists say. A warmer atmosphere can also hold more water, about 7% more for every degree Celsius, scientists say. That means when it does rain, it's more likely to be heavy. 'We can now go several months without a drop of rain, and then have a major storm again in the summer," said Jorge Olcina, a geography professor at the University of Alicante in Spain. "In other words, we're losing the regularity of the rains.' But attributing a single event like the rainfall this month to climate change remains difficult, in part due to Spain's natural weather extremes, Argüeso said. 'The fact that the variability is so large is an obstacle in measuring climate change,' he said. ___ Naishadham reported from Madrid.
Associated Press
26-03-2025
- Climate
- Associated Press
A parched Spain has emerged from drought only to face floods
VILANOVA DE SAU, Spain (AP) — As Spain choked on stubborn drought last year, a reservoir north of Barcelona emptied, revealing a medieval church. But in the last few weeks, rising waters have again covered the Sant Roma de Sau church as the country's weather took an abrupt turn. Drought relief came at a price, as flash floods forced hundreds of people to evacuate their homes, closed schools and highways and swept cars away. While it can be difficult to identify climate change as the cause of a single event, scientists say it is making such swings between dryness and downpour ever more extreme. The recent floods took place just months after a deadly deluge in Valencia. Here's a look at the volatile weather that led Spain out of a drought. How unusual were the recent storms? In the first 18 days of March, Spain received more than double the rainfall it normally gets in the month, according to Spain's national weather agency AEMET. That included in normally arid parts of the country such as the southern Andalusia region where rivers swollen from rainfall prompted authorities to evacuate hundreds of people from their homes. Madrid got more rain in the first three weeks of March than any month since records began in 1893, said Rubén del Campo, a meteorologist and spokesperson at AEMET. But weather swings are a fact of life in Spain. 'The blessing and curse of the Spanish climate is exactly that,' said Daniel Argüeso, a climate scientist at Spain's University of the Balearic Islands. 'We have these periods of extended drought that usually end with these kinds of situations. Having said that, the rain we had in March has been quite exceptional.' What does it mean for the drought? For now, the drought that began in 2023 is over. Reservoirs around the country are around 66% full on average, according to Spain's environment and ecological transition ministry. That's better than they have been in a decade, del Campo said. In Catalonia, the Sau reservoir that supplies water to Barcelona is now about 48% full, compared to less than 5% at the same time last year. That's good news for Jordi Galabardes and his wife Montse Bufils, who live in the nearby village of San Martin Sescorts, in Catalonia. Last year, they couldn't water their garden due to water restrictions. 'In just three weeks, it's filled up a lot, which gives hope that we can recover all this,' Galabardes said on Monday near the reservoir's edge. How long the country's water reserves remain at healthy levels depends on factors like how much more springtime rain the country gets and just how hot and dry the summer is. But climate scientists predict that Spain will likely stay free of water restrictions at least through the summer. 'We've come out of drought, but it's not that there is a huge excess of water,' del Campo said. 'Spain is a country where water resources are never abundant.' Is climate change causing Spain's volatile weather? Climate change is likely making Spain's fluctuations more intense, climate scientists say. Around the world, rising temperatures stoked by climate change are speeding up the hydrological cycle in which water moves between Earth and the atmosphere. That is triggering more extreme weather, such as prolonged droughts and intense rainfall, climate scientists say. A warmer atmosphere can also hold more water, about 7% more for every degree Celsius, scientists say. That means when it does rain, it's more likely to be heavy. 'We can now go several months without a drop of rain, and then have a major storm again in the summer,' said Jorge Olcina, a geography professor at the University of Alicante in Spain. 'In other words, we're losing the regularity of the rains.' But attributing a single event like the rainfall this month to climate change remains difficult, in part due to Spain's natural weather extremes, Argüeso said. 'The fact that the variability is so large is an obstacle in measuring climate change,' he said.
Local Spain
17-03-2025
- Climate
- Local Spain
Why won't it stop raining in Spain?
You've probably noticed that it's been raining pretty much non-stop in Spain over at least the last three weeks. Whether it be the recent Storm Jana, then Storm Konrad hitting much of Spain with rain, strong winds and snow last week, or now Storm Laurence bringing further wet weather to large parts of the country from Monday, it's been an unusually wet (and cold, in places) month so far. In fact, all the data suggests that this March will probably be the wettest on record, and judging by the sheer number of rainy days we've had so far this month, it seems almost certain this will be the case even if it's sunny for the rest of March. The southern region of Andalusia, for example, has now accumulated almost two consecutive weeks of stormy days. Locals in Córdoba have seen 16 consecutive days of non-stop rainfall, and in Madrid the first week of March the capital recorded almost the same amount of rain that it usually accumulates throughout the entire spring. According to data from Spain's state meteorological agency (Aemet), in just eight days Madrid's Retiro observatory collected 100 millimetres of accumulated rainfall, a figure that is close to the average rainfall between March and May in the capital. Ciudad Real has recorded rainfall for 14 consecutive days, the eleventh longest streak of rain since 1920. Aemet spokesman Rubén del Campo told the Spanish press that in just the first nine days of March, in Spain it rained "three times more than normal.' Why won't it stop raining in Spain? Without wanting to get overly meteorological, the rainy conditions are being caused by a high-pressure anticyclone system located in northern Europe, somewhere near the UK, which basically forces storm systems to descend in latitude and head southward towards Spain. 'These are storms that are circulating at lower latitudes than is common at this time of year,' del Campo explains. At high altitude, weather fronts feed the anticyclonic circulation, which causes large movements of warm air northward and cold air towards southwards. Aemet also notes that warmer ocean temperatures can cause rains to be heavier because the warm sea water provides energy, as long as the atmospheric conditions are right, which has likely worsened the wet spell. Fortunately, according to forecasting models, it seems the phenomena should disappear by the beginning of next week.
