Apathy aid

By Simon Hunter

“The countryside doesn’t want to be showered with aid but rather water,” he said at a rally in Valencia.

“The country needs its land to be productive and to sell its products,” he added.

Rainfall in Spain has been

Snow And Hail

SPAIN’S alarming year of weather has continued with snow falling in parts of Spain and hailstones in the Mediterranean.

Snowfall landed in Asturias, while hail came down in Catalunya and Valencia.

Many of the areas affected had not seen a single drop of rain in months.

According to state meteorological agency, Aemet, the year has been the driest since records began, with less than half the average rain registered up to May 1.

Showers and storms are forecast around the country this week while temperatures will rise from Monday in the south.

27.5% lower than average for the last eight months and forecasts suggest the country will not see significant rainfalls until September.

So far, 2023 is the fifth-worst year on record in terms of the amount of water stored in the country’s reservoirs.

In Murcia, reservoir levels are down 12% on last year

People Power

ALICANTE has become one of the top 10 most populated cities in Spain. It has replaced Bilbao with 348,901 official inhabitants, compared to the Basque city’s 340,455. The most populated cities are Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia.

at 28.3%, while in Valencia they are healthier at 54%, albeit a big drop from 68% last year.

In Andalucia, reservoir levels are critical, standing at just 27.9%, some 10% down on last year and 35% down on the same month in 2013. The Cabinet approved decree includes urgent measures to support the agriculture sector, with the drought already having caused losses to over five million hectares of cereal crops.

Subsidies

The assistance includes direct aid of more than €636 million, plus subsidies of up to 70% on insurance policies for drought.

“Our immediate action will guarantee the supply of water for this summer,” insisted Teresa Ribera, minister for environmental transition.