A prolonged drought in central Portugal has revealed the remnants of a community that was completely drowned underwater nearly 70 years ago when a big reservoir was built.
“I’ve never seen anything like that!” exclaims Carlos Perdigao, 76, as he stands in front of the wrecked stone buildings of Vilar, which were suffocated by the Zezere river when a dam was built in 1954.
Vilar stands on the riverbanks, surrounded by broken yellow earth, yet another reminder of the persistent drought in what is generally a rainy winter season, with the drought affecting neighboring Spain as well.
According to weather services in both countries, January was the second driest on record since 2000.
According to climate scientist Ricardo Deus of Portugal’s meteorology service IPMA, the present drought is exceptional in terms of “intensity, magnitude, and duration.”
According to the European Union’s Copernicus Earth monitoring agency, 24 of Portugal’s 55 dams are barely holding half of their water capacity, while five are below 20%.
The drought has hit the Algarve, Portugal’s southernmost province and one of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations.
Meanwhile, the AEMET meteorological service said that Spain received barely a fifth of the precipitation it regularly receives in January.
The dry period, which began at the end of 2021, is destroying crops, making it difficult for farmers to feed their cattle, and causing hydroelectricity production to suffer.
