THE Balearic Met Office said yesterday that average temperatures in November have been very high so far, and on the whole have been between 2 and 3 degrees Celsius higher than the average over the last 30 years. Met Office sources said yesterday that the provisional average on Minorca so far this month has been 17.4ºC, compared to its previous November record of 16.5º C. The temperature at Palma's Son Sant Joan airport has averaged 16.8º C compared to its previous November record average of 15.3º C.
As to rainfall, the Met Office, said it has been pretty poor despite the occasional downpour.
The year on year balance of rain, resulting from comparing how much it has rained in the past 365 days and how much it normally rains in a year, shows a deficit in all the islands.
The spokesman went on to say that the deficit is very marked in Minorca, where it is as much as 41 per cent, which classifies as heavy drought.
In Ibiza, the year on year rain deficit is 17 per cent, while in Majorca it is 14 per cent.
He added that figures get worse if treated on a shorter time frame, such as rainfall from the beginning of September.
The rain deficit during this period, of just over three months, is 60 per cent in Minorca, 53 per cent in Ibiza and 49 per in Majorca.
This means, said the spokesman, that we can speak of a major drought in the Balearics.
The Palma city council has just launched a water saving campaign because of the drought situation.
November temperatures higher than 30 year average