• Historic drought drains crucial Sau Reservoir to a trickle, Spain

    Spain’s Catalonia region is experiencing its worst drought on record, with the Sau Reservoir, a crucial water source, severely depleted as seen in March 2024 satellite images. The past three years have marked the driest period since 1914, prompting the Catalan government to declare a drought emergency on February 1, 2024, and impose water consumption restrictions on its residents and businesses.

  • Catalonia’s worst drought in a century prompts declaration of drought emergency, new water restrictions, Spain

    Barcelona and the wider region of Catalonia have declared a drought emergency following three consecutive years of insufficient rainfall, leading to reservoir levels falling critically low. Pere Aragones, the head of the regional government, announced immediate water-saving restrictions affecting six million people. With reservoirs at less than 16% capacity, the emergency is described as the worst drought Catalonia has experienced in a century, necessitating drastic reductions in water usage for residents, municipalities, farmers, and businesses alike.

  • Intense paroxysms at Anak Krakatau volcano, Indonesia

    The Anak Krakatau volcano, located in Indonesia’s Sunda Strait, has resumed its explosive activity, exhibiting a series of short-lived lava-fountaining episodes known as paroxysms last night. The eruptions lasted up to 150 seconds while ash was reaching 2 100 m (7 000 feet) above sea level.