Cádiz sees 21 days of rain; saturated land stops absorbing water

Cádiz sees 21 days of rain; saturated land stops absorbing water

Cádiz has experienced 21 consecutive days of rainfall. What began as complaints about bad weather has turned into a debate on climate, reservoirs, and who benefits from the water. In Seville, the mountains have accumulated 900 liters so far this hydrological year, with some reservoirs supplying the capital at 100% capacity. In Grazalema, nearly 800 liters per square meter fell in just 17 days. The ground is so soaked that it no longer absorbs any more.

How much water actually fell?

The data dispels any notion of an anecdote. Grazalema, one of Spain's wettest spots, recorded nearly 800 liters per square meter in 17 days. In the Seville mountain range, hydrological year records reach 900 liters, and reservoirs supplying the capital are over 100% or near full. Rain continued until March 24, according to forecasts discussed.

The impact on the ground is visible: flooded flat areas, impassable paths, and a landscape that, as wryly noted, is not much different from Galicia. Saturated fields cease to be good news when water doesn't filter down but runs off the surface.

Shift of the Azores High

The circulating meteorological explanation is simple: the Azores High shifted toward Iceland, allowing Atlantic storms to pass over the peninsula and the Canary Islands. This pattern, it is argued, should persist through the rest of winter and spring. The change in the high-pressure system's position explains the persistent rains.

Some argue these cycles of abundance and drought have occurred before, citing examples from Franco-era reservoirs built to combat drought to documented cycles over recent centuries. Opposing this is the thesis that climate change is the root cause. The discussion remains open.

Water as economic loot

The issue becomes economic regarding reservoir management. One view holds that authorities will discreetly release water, then justify restrictions and price hikes. Suspicion that water is wasted only to sell it later at higher prices pervades much of the debate.

Financial speculation also appears: investment funds betting on water as a scarce asset. If it rains, those funds lose. This is the less visible side of the storm.

Estela, drought, and other theories

The topic has drifted into less verifiable territory. Some attribute the rains to estela, with contradictory versions: some planes causing drought, others rain. The estela theory appears in the debate without scientific backing, used to explain both drought and floods.

Another line claims the previous two decades of drought never existed and were a media construct. However, precipitation data from recent years point in the opposite direction for many basins.

Emotional impact and daily life

Beyond meteorology, the thread captures the psychological toll of weeks without sun. Some admit continuous rain is affecting their mood. Others celebrate the water, asking for more to offset years of extreme heat.

The divide is generational and geographic. In coastal areas like Cádiz, weather depends on wind: easterlies (Levante) or westerlies (Poniente) completely change the thermal sensation. Those who lived there know this. Outsiders often get it wrong.

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With reservoirs full and land saturated, the question is no longer if it rains too much, but what to do with all that water. If management trinc past patterns, we will likely hear about drought again in summer. Given these precedents, however, one should not bet too heavily.