The recent rain has led to an improvement in the capacities of the two large reservoirs in the Tramuntana mountains. But they are both still a long way off the levels they should be, following the months over autumn and winter with minimal rainfall and no snow.
The two reservoirs - Gorg Blau and Cuber - had a combined capacity of under 30% in the first weeks of the year. Because of the recent rain, this has increased to over 35%, but it is nothing like the capacity at this time last year. In February 2015, the capacity was up to 96% because of the heavy snow that fell in that month: there was more than a metre of snow at Cuber.
The Palma services agency Emaya is reporting that Gorg Blau has risen by 41 centimetres because of a 43 litres per square metre of rainfall. It is now at 34.3% capacity. The agency says that the reservoir is missing over ten metres of water which would bring it to a maximum level, one at which it would begin to overflow.
Cuber has risen by 12 centimetres and is now at 36.75% capacity. It would need a further six metres of water to reach its limit.
The slight improvement does not, for now, alter the situation with supply. The reservoirs are currently not being used, meaning that it remains necessary for desalinated water to be bought in from Abaqua, the regional government's water agency.