Last February, with an average rainfall of 2,2 mm, became the driest February since 1931, the year in which continued rainfall records began in mainland Portugal., revealed the Meteorology Institute.
According to the Institute of Meteorology's Drought Observatory and confirming a previous forecast, the meteorological drought situation has worsened on February 29, compared to the last results of February 15, with the entire continental territory in a severe drought situation (68% ) and extreme (32%), the two highest levels of severity.
This situation is due to the absence of significant rainfall in practically the entire territory, during the last half of February.
In terms of percentage of water in the soil, measuring the water capacity usable by plants, it appears that most of the country already has values below 50%, with even places in the southern region where it is even below 40%.
This meteorological drought is, at the end of February, more intense than the last drought that occurred in the national territory in 2005. It should be remembered that on February 15th the drought situation was not yet as serious as in 2005, which changed. with the absence of significant rainfall in the second half of the month, putting the entire territory in severe or extreme drought this year. In 2005, at the time, only 3/4 of the territory was found in these two most severe classes of drought, a situation that was due to the occurrence of precipitation in the second half of the month that year and the replacement of water in the soil, contrary to the situation current.
For the month of March, in terms of drought evolution scenarios and taking into account the monthly weather forecast that points to an accumulated value of precipitation below normal, the Meteorology Institute admits as more likely a non-reduction in severity of the meteorological drought.
The IM through the Drought Observatory will update this information at the end of the first half of March.
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