Intense rains from the Nelson depression left dams in Portugal at the limit of their capacity

The passage of storm ‘Nelson’ during Easter week brought with it torrential rains that resulted in a significant increase in the volume of dams across the country. According to the most recent data, and according to Correio da Manhã, the average volume of the 80 monitored dams rose from 86.4% to 89% in just one week, with 16 of these being completely full, operating at 100 %. On the other hand, only four dams register a volume of less than 40%.

In the Algarve, the situation reached a positive milestone, with the region finally leaving an alert state in terms of water reserves across river basins, thanks to the gains made in dams during this period.

In Alentejo, the Alqueva dam stands out, which this Tuesday reached a volume of 3942 meters hm3, corresponding to 95% of its total capacity, being just 55 centimeters away from reaching maximum capacity for the first time in a decade.

Following these, the Castelo de Bode river basin, located on the Zêzere river, registered 96% of its capacity, while the Baixo Sabo river basin, a tributary of the Douro river, has the third largest reservoir in the country and has a capacity of 94% .

With forecasts of more rain until Monday, Algarve farmers are calling on the Government to ease restrictions on water use in agriculture, imposed due to the prolonged drought that has affected the region.