The amount of water stored in the river basins was at the end of December higher than the average, except in the Mira and Ribeiras do Algarve basins, according to the National System of Information on Water Resources (SNIRH).
The Barlavento Algarvio basin continued at the end of December to be the one with the least amount of water stored, at 54.6%. The average for December in this basin is 60.1%.
The Mira basin was also below the monthly average at the end of December, with an average of 68.2%, standing at 58.1%.
On the last day of December and compared with the last day of the previous month, there was an increase in stored volume in 11 river basins and a decrease in one, according to SNIRH.
Of the 60 reservoirs monitored, 35 show water availabilities above 80% of the total volume and three have availabilities below 40%.
According to SNIRH data, the Oeste basin (98.1%), Tagus (86.6%), Guadiana (86.2%), Douro (81.8%), Arade (80.8%), Ave (80.9%), Cávado (80.6%), Mondego (78.7%), Lima (70%), and Sado (63.2%) were the basins with the largest volume of water at the end of December.
Each river basin may correspond to more than one reservoir.
According to the latest climatological bulletin from the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA), the mild drought that still existed at the end of November in the districts of Évora, Beja and Faro has ended.
