The new hydrological year begins on 1st October: prepare your home for the first rain

As autumn arrives, several local authorities are issuing warnings to residents. Find out what this water calendar is and what precautions you should take.

The land still retains the warmth of a long summer, but the sky is beginning to change colour. For most people, this is simply the start of autumn. For scientists, engineers and civil protection teams, however, 1st October marks the beginning of a new cycle.

This is the date when the country welcomes the hydrological year, the technical calendar that governs water management in Portugal.The choice of this moment is not simply a date on the calendar. Autumn marks the period when river basins emerge from their driest state

and begin to receive the rainfall that will replenish underground reserves and reservoirs. But the transition between seasons can often be abrupt.The first showers, frequently accompanied by strong winds, encounter hardened soils and blocked drainage channels filled with debris acc

umulated during the warmer months. To prevent the familiar scenes of flooded streets, several local authorities, from north to south of the country, have already begun …….