The month of February has ended with water reserves at 51% in the Balearic Islands, remaining at the same level as the previous month but three points below the 54% recorded in the same period last year. This data confirms a trend of reserves below historical levels.

By islands, Mallorca maintains 52% of its capacity, while Menorca remains at 51%. Ibiza, however, has experienced a slight decline, dropping from 36% to 34%. In general terms, the situation in the Balearic Islands reflects a decrease compared to previous years, which raises concerns about water availability in the medium and long term.

Changes in alert scenarios

The evolution of reserves has led to variations in alert scenarios. The demand unit (UD) of es Pla has seen the most significant improvement, moving from alert to pre-alert. On the other hand, the UD of Tramuntana Sud has suffered the most notable decline, entering pre-alert. Currently, only 8.1% of the territory (UD Tramuntana Nord) is in a state of normality, while 91.9% of the archipelago remains on pre-alert, affecting the UDs of Menorca, Artà, Manacor-Felanitx, Migjorn, es Pla, Palma-Alcúdia, Tramuntana Sud, Ibiza, and Formentera.

water reserves Balearic Islands February 2025

On a global scale, the Hydrographic Demarcation Index (0.457) remains below last year’s value (0.464) and that recorded two years ago (0.553), confirming a progressive decline in water availability.

A February with normal rainfall and warmer temperatures

According to the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET), February has been considered a normal month in terms of rainfall, with an average of 43.4 l/m² in the archipelago, a figure close to the 48.9 l/m² usually expected. By islands, Mallorca recorded 47.3 l/m², in line with its historical average (47.7 l/m²), while Menorca had a dry month, with only 26.9 l/m² compared to the usual 48.1 l/m². In the Pitiüses, Ibiza experienced a slightly wet month (37.7 l/m² vs 35.5 l/m² historically), while Formentera suffered a significant deficit (17.0 l/m² vs 33.7 l/m² historically).

The interannual rainfall percentage in the Balearic Islands stands at 96%, with variations between islands: Mallorca reaches 97%, Menorca 93%, and the Pitiüses 96%.

Additionally, February has been a warm month in the archipelago, with an average temperature of 11.5 ºC and an anomaly of +0.9 ºC compared to the historical average. This increase in temperatures has led to higher evaporation and reduced aquifer recharge, worsening the water reserve situation.