Data sent to Lusa by the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) also shows that, at a national level, the total storage capacity in the 80 reservoirs is at 77%.

“The rains of the last few days continue to restore the Algarve’s reservoirs from 34% to 49%”, reads the information provided by the entity responsible for implementing environmental policies in Portugal.

According to the note, water reserves ensure “all uses in the Algarve for more than a year”.

Water storage in the southernmost region of mainland Portugal went from 135 cubic hectometres (hm3) a year ago to 218 hm3 at the beginning of this week.

While the dams in the eastern Algarve have greatly increased their storage capacity and are well above 50%, those in the western Algarve continue to have difficulty filling the same percentages, due to less abundant rainfall.

In the east, the Odeleite dam is now at 74% of its capacity (96.20 hm3) and the Beliche dam at 66% (31.60 hm3).

In the west the percentages are less, with Odelouca registering 37% of its capacity (58.63 hm3), Arade 17% (4.86 hm3), Bravura 14% (5.04 hm3) and Funcho 45% (21.51 hm3).