Drought warning for Spain’s Costa Blanca: Dry conditions will worsen in May due to lack of rainfall and high temperatures, experts predict

FORECASTERS are predicting hot and dry weather all during May in Alicante province, despite some rainfall at the start of the month.
The State Meteorological Agency(Aemet) says that based on medium-range forecasts from European and American observatories, it will be warmer than normal.
There will also be little change to drought conditions which continued through a mild winter.

PROFESSOR OLCINA
Climate expert, Professor Jorge Olcina, from the University of Alicante said that the picture was ‘not very optimistic’.
“We are entering the time of year when outflows from the water network of the Jucar and Segura basins are higher than what goes in- week by week,” he commented.
That will combine with temperature rises and a stronger sun.
Olcina said that barring an occasional storm, there will be ‘no significant contributions’ to reducing the drought.
“We really are facing a very intense Mediterranean drought caused by an absence of easterly storms which drag moisture from the Mediterranean Sea to the coast,” he observed
“Since October 1, we have not had any easterly storm that would allow the accumulation of significant amounts of water.”
Professor Olcina pointed out that the only blessings have come from Atlantic storms which weaken and ‘dry out’ once they reach the east coast.
Though domestic water supplies are guaranteed until the autumn, he’s called for care in summer water usage which sees the highest demands of the year from farming and tourism.
Reservoirs supplying Alicante province currently stand at around 25% of capacity.