# 2012 Drought??



## siobhanwf (Mar 20, 2009)

Reported in POrtugal News 
28/1/2012

“Everything depends on February.

It has to be a very rainy February to reverse the situation. If the weather is the same in February as it has been in January then we will have an extreme drought,” he said.

Manuel Costa Alves believes that it is extremely important that the next few months bring rain, but he explained that “once winter rainfall is lost, the rainfall from spring is never enough to reverse the situation.”

Highlighting the fact that October was extremely warm, the meteorologist said that December “normally contributes with a large amount of precipitation across the country,” but this year it has been virtually zero.

“Data for the end of December showed 83 percent of the territory suffering weak drought, six percent with moderate drought, eight percent as normal and three percent as humid,” he said.

According to Mr. Alves, at the end of January “a significant part of the territory will be suffering with moderate drought,” with “a significant percentage also suffering severe drought, before the extreme, which is the final stage, with a part also suffering weak drought.”

The meteorologist says that the drought situation is an “inherent risk” of mainland Portugal’s climate, adding that the last major drought was in 2004/2005.

“The 2004/2005 drought was the most intense since 1941. It must be brought to attention because it was very intense and caused damages and loss to many activities,” he said.


----------



## siobhanwf (Mar 20, 2009)

*Orange crop affected*

Drought damages Algarve orange industry 

The lack of rain across the Algarve is leading to smaller oranges, which are being rejected by the retail market and leading to agricultural businesses failing, according to a sector representative.

Drought damages Algarve orange industry


----------



## siobhanwf (Mar 20, 2009)

*Driest February on record*

Driest February on record
10/3/2012The Government this week formally applied for EU assistance as the severe drought gripping the country shows no signs of abating. The Met Office has revealed that February 2012 was the driest month on record, with the current winter season expected to achieve a similar status. The extended forecast for mainland Portugal does not look too promising either, with little or no rain expected for the remainder of the month.


Driest February on record


----------



## sharky (Feb 10, 2011)

*Drought*

I have an automatic irrigation system which runs of the mains water supply. Are there currently any restrictions on watering gardens?


----------



## siobhanwf (Mar 20, 2009)

sharky said:


> I have an automatic irrigation system which runs of the mains water supply. Are there currently any restrictions on watering gardens?



At present no restrictions are in place in our area.


----------



## siobhanwf (Mar 20, 2009)

Portugal's driest February in 80 years,
Dry, cold weather at night and heat during the day destroy the crops - grain, tomatoes, vines, orchards.

The country's last major drought in 2005 cost the country almost 300 million euros

Experts say that despite a super-dry February, this year's drought is not yet as bad as that in 2005, when two years of parched conditions combined to create Portugal's worst drought in 60 years.

forecasters expect the freak weather pattern to prevail at least through the end of March, which would worsen a drought now classified as severe and extreme throughout mainland Portugal.

Portugal prays for rain as drought adds to crisis | Reuters


----------

