Data sent to Lusa by the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) shows that the rains in January in particular meant that on February 21, 2025, the capacity of the six dams in the Algarve was at 54% of their total.

A year earlier, this percentage was 34%, 20 percentage points less, which means a retention of 90 cubic hectometres (hm3) of water during one year, now there are 240 hm3.

A source from APA highlighted to the Lusa agency the current situation at the Odeleite (79%) and Beliche (72%) dams.

“The less good news is that the recovery was asymmetrical. As a result of the rains in January, more than 70% was on the sotavento [east] side”, lamented the same source.

The APA recalls that the Algarve is the only region that has two dams with less than 20% of their capacity (Bravura and Arade), which are located in the windward (west) region.

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

On the east side, the Odeleite dam is now at 79% of its capacity (103.10 hm3) and the Beliche dam at 72% (34.55 hm3).

In the west direction the percentages are less important, with Odelouca registering 43% of its capacity (67.01 hm3), Arade 18% (5.01 hm3), Bravura 17% (5.82 hm3) and Funcho 50% (24.05 hm3).