Mouth of the Jucar River within the Mediterranean. Credit score: Wikipedia
Marina Alta formally out of ‘Crimson Alert’ drought because of one of many wettest months since 1950
You didn’t must be a climate knowledgeable to note the rains of the previous few months had introduced some aid to the parched aquifers of Marina Alta. On a extra official stage, a couple of native councils had already hinted that water reserves ought to now be sufficient to final the remainder of the 12 months. (What nobody actually talks about, although, is whether or not long-term options will ever be put in place for the subsequent dry spell — an important debate.)
However solely now has the Júcar River Basin Authority (CHJ) formally confirmed that the area is not at crimson alert for water provide shortages. This stuff take time — the CHJ seems to be at long-term tendencies relatively than reacting right away to a moist week or two.
Nonetheless, they’re being cautious. Marina Alta, in line with the newest official map, stays on orange alert — that means water shortage remains to be a difficulty, simply not as extreme. A lot of Alicante province that falls inside the similar basin can also be nonetheless at this stage, with the neighbouring Marina Baixa even staying at red alert.
A Exceptional March
What helped flip issues round was the extraordinary rainfall throughout the Júcar basin this March. In accordance with Spain’s nationwide climate company (AEMET), the common was 174.9 litres per sq. metre — nicely above the historic common for 1991–2022. In truth, this made it the second wettest March since 1950 — solely topped by that of 2022.
Sure areas have been particularly drenched. Stats from Avamet present that in Benialí (within the Vall de Gallinera) 590.4 mm fell, whereas Vall d’Ebo noticed 591 mm — simply in March. To place that into perspective, Benialí recorded extra rain in these 30 days than throughout the entire of drought-stricken 2024 (which noticed 558 mm complete).
These extremes aren’t new, but the contrast between wet and dry spells is growing sharper — an indication of local weather change, as identified just lately by Jorge Olcina, head of Alicante’s Climatology Lab, throughout a chat in Dénia.
And it wasn’t simply these two spots. In March 2025, a number of different locations topped 300 mm of rain: Benigembla, Parcent, Pego, Sagra, Vall d’Alcalà, and Vall de Laguar all made the checklist. In the meantime, coastal and inland cities like Dénia, Calp, Xàbia, Gata, Ondara, Pedreguer, Teulada, Benissa and El Verger fell under the basin-wide common of 179 mm.
