In a “normal” year, growers tend to rely on predictable rainfall levels when planning crops such as potatoes, citrus, pears or lemons. However, 2025 broke with that pattern in both Spain and the Netherlands. Dutch rainfall remained well below historical averages, while large areas of southern Spain saw precipitation well above their norm.
According to KNMI data, the Dutch port city of Vlissingen received just 484 mm of rain last year, far below its ten-year average of 765 mm. Groningen fared better with 741 mm, but still failed to reach its long-term average of around 800 mm.
By contrast, southern Spanish regions — typically much drier — saw an unusually wet year. Average annual rainfall in Seville, Huelva and Málaga normally ranges between 500 and 550 mm, according to Spain’s meteorological agency Aemet, while Almería averages only around 200 mm. In 2025, however, rainfall reached 591 mm in Málaga, 798 mm in Seville and 822 mm in Huelva, meaning Seville and Huelva recorded wetter conditions than the Netherlands. Almería was the exception, remaining dry with just 149 mm.
Other Mediterranean regions also exceeded their usual rainfall levels. Murcia recorded around 440 mm, compared with a multi-year average of 313 mm, while Valencia reached 694 mm against a historical norm of 461 mm.
Reservoir levels recover
One of the most immediate effects of the heavy rainfall has been the recovery of water reserves. In Andalusia, reservoir levels have risen significantly, easing concerns over irrigation supplies for the coming season.
In the Seville basin, reservoirs were around 78% full in early January, compared with 64% a year earlier and a ten-year average of 56%. Huelva showed a similar improvement, with reserves at 77%, well above last year’s 43% and the long-term average of 58%, according to data from embalses.net.
Málaga’s avocado-growing areas have also benefited, with water stocks climbing to 56%, double last year’s level and above the historical average. Almería remains the most fragile area, with reservoirs at just 8%, broadly in line with previous years. Murcia improved to 29%, above both last year and its ten-year average, while Valencia’s basins stood at 46%, slightly above the long-term norm.
Overall, the unusual rainfall pattern has redrawn the water outlook for southern Spain, offering relief to many growers after years of drought, while highlighting how increasingly erratic weather is reshaping agricultural planning across Europe.
