[REVISION HISTORY]

Spain July 2026 heat wave persists, Galicia water crisis

Updated 14 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-31 06:59 UTC → 2026-09-05 10:22 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The high‑pressure ridge driving extreme heat across Spain continues to limit rainfall, intensifying a severe water crisis in Galicia. By late July, reservoir levels dropped to a historic 66% of capacity, the lowest in 25 years. In Galicia, Augas de Galicia has activated high‑level alerts for the Baiona supply subsystem and the Lérez and Anllóns river basins, while the Confederación Hidrográfica Miño‑Sil declared a pre-alert for drought in Ourense. By mid-August, the situation escalated with red alerts for extreme heat across approximately 70 municipalities. In the Pontevedra estuary, municipalities including Poio, Marín, and Sanxenxo face critical shortages. Current restrictions prohibit using potable water for non-essential activities like washing cars or watering gardens. Political debates have also emerged regarding the management of the Lérez River, as discussions over a supramunicipal water management association remain stalled by cost disagreements. Environmental Minister Ángeles Vázquez has suggested that small-scale reservoir infrastructure could help manage shortages, though she emphasized that reducing leaks in distribution networks—which account for a 20% loss in municipalities with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants—is equally vital. She characterized the current drought as not being “dramatic” or “generalized,” noting that 32 municipalities are on alert and 35 are on pre-alert. Extreme heat and dryness have triggered significant wildfire activity. Fires in Padrón, Boborás, Xermadeo O Riós, and Ponteareas have burned hundreds of hectares. July was recorded as the warmest month in the region in 30 years, with temperatures in Vigo reaching a historic 39.12 degrees Celsius. ~~While Atlantic low-pressure systems brought brief instability~~ By late August and ~~rain toward the end of August, meteorologists predict a return to dry, summer-like~~ early September, conditions remained volatile. An anticyclone brought dry skies and rising temperatures, with ~~temperatures~~ interior regions seeing highs exceeding ~~30 degrees Celsius in~~ 30°C and Ourense reaching 35°C. Reservoir levels were reported at approximately 62% capacity, prompting the ~~interior.~~ Xunta de Galicia to announce plans to improve the efficiency of hydraulic installations.

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