Droughts in Spain

The drought in Spain that began in 1749 was a challenging situation that deeply affected the whole country. During that period, they were experienced extremely dry climatic conditions and a significant lack of rainfall In most of the nation. These adverse conditions led to a series of problems and negative consequences for the population and the natural environment.

Rainfall was minimal or almost non -existent, which resulted in a considerable water deficit throughout the Spanish territory. The rivers, streams and reservoirs were dried, which led to a drastic reduction in the availability of fresh water for domestic, agricultural and industrial use. This lack of water directly affected agriculturea crucial sector in the country’s economy, since crops did not receive the necessary amount of water for proper growth and development.

This drought in 1749 had a strong negative impact on food production. Water scarcity led to the decrease in crop yields, which resulted in a Lack of food for the population. The lack of rains especially affected cereal crops, such as wheat and barley, which generated a shortage of bread and other basic products. This situation led to an increase in food prices and the appearance of famine in some regions.

The Tormes River was completely dry And it affected the northern part of the country, which is usually the wettest area. Meanwhile, the mass flood of the Guadalquivir basin in 1752 was an example of the great contrasts that existed in the extreme regions of the country at that time.

The drought in Spain that began in 1944 was a climate phenomenon that left a deep mark in the country. During that period, the Spanish territory experienced a serious lack of rainfall and extreme dryness conditions. These adverse climatic characteristics had a significant impact on various aspects of society and the environment.

The lack of rains during the drought of 1944 especially affected the agricultural sector. The crops did not receive the necessary amount of water for their development, which resulted in a significant decrease in yields. Food production was severely affected, and Basic products such as cereals, fruits and vegetables were scarce.

This is considered the worst drought Spain has lived in recent centuries. The weather was as hard that rivers as Ebro almost stopped flowing and Manzanares disappeared completely. According to the National Meteorological Service, the percentage of rain was the lowest that was registered between 1940 and 2003.

During that period, conditions of extreme dryness and a marked shortage of rainfall in different Spanish regions were experienced. These adverse climatic characteristics had a significant impact on multiple aspects of society and the natural environment.

During that time, Precipitation was scarce or almost non -existent in much of the Spanish territory. This lack of water led to an important water deficit in rivers, reservoirs and aquifers, which directly affected the water supply for human, agricultural and industrial consumption.

The worst of this drought was its extension, since It lasted 4 years and affected much of the south and east of the Iberian Peninsula. Then, came the point where Seville and other cities needed to cut the water supply 10 hours a day. It also happened that the reservoirs of the Júcar river basin region were reduced to 116 hm³ of water.

It is considered that the rainfall index Normal in Spain is around 650 mm and the years before 1991 it was already decreasing, around 365 mm. In 1991 it began A serious drought which led to between 1993 and 1994 the rainfall was 200 mm and In 1995 of 196 mm.

During the first three years of the period, the capacity of the reservoirs was 28%, falling to 15% in 1995. This caused severe restrictions and water cutssuch as those suffered in the community of Madrid or the Basque Country.

Known as Iberian droughtthe 2016-2017 hydrological year He did not register significant rains and was especially severe in the fall of 2017leaving the entire exceptionally dry Iberian peninsula. In fact, September 2017 was the driest month of the 21st century with just 15 l/m², 33% of the average.

Total inventories in Spain are at 38.9% to October 5, 2017, compared to 51.27 of the same week of 2016 and 53% on average in the last 10 years. 2017 is a year of meteorological records of temperature and shortage of water in the country. It was the second most dry year in Spain since 1965.

Galicia and Castilla y León, the most affected communitiesregistered significantly lower rainfall than usual. The water was cut, the price of some foods and the water itself roseand many animals ran out of food. Even Electricity prices have shot due to drought. Cereal crops in both regions were severely affected, with indirect effects on cattle that feed on these grains.

According to data provided by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, the water reserves of Spain represent 50.7% of its total capacity, with 28,074 cubic hectometers of water⁽¹⁾. Without significant rains, The volume of water decreases day by daywith Alarming figures From the same weather agency that show that only in the penultimate week of April 326 cubic hectometers were lost, equivalent to 0.6% of the current total capacity of the reservoir.
The Basins of Galicia and the Cantabrian are currently the basins with sufficient water resources, the most important western water basin being (with 82.2% of its capacity), followed by the interior basins of the Basque Country with 81%. At the other end of the map are the hydrological basins of the Mediterranean slope, among which the Andalusia basin, which is filled only by 36.2%, and the Safe Basin, which is filled by 34.6%. The most affected is the Catalan interior basin, with reserves of only 25.7%.

After reading all this information about the worst droughts in Spain, we encourage you to deepen more in this topic on what drought, its causes and consequences reading our article.

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