Spain's crisis: from a tourist paradise to a growing desert amid 'megadrought'

While Italians and Croats are dealing with floods, Spaniards are struggling to survive the drought. The situation is becoming more dramatic in several regions. Droughts in Spain aren't a new phenomenon, but they're getting longer and harsher. Experts refer to this situation as a ''megadrought''.

Spanish rivers have been drying up since April. The worst affected are Andalusia and Catalonia, where some reservoirs are at less than 25 percent of their capacity. In the Sau reservoir, it's barely 10 percent. Measures, such as bans on filling swimming pools and watering gardens, were introduced early, back in February.

The month of April was exceptionally hot and dry. In the southern part of Andalusia, temperatures reached up to 102.2°F. Last year, a ''ghost village'' emerged from the water due to the drought. This year, a thousand-year-old church, submerged in the 20th century, has surfaced.

The Spanish populace maintains hope for improvement. Several towns and cities hold processions during which worshippers pray for rain.

We are facing severe drought conditions. We must call upon God and the Blessed Virgin Mary for the rain we desperately need - pleaded the bishops of Andalusia in a letter to their community.

Weather forecasts for the approaching months offer hope that the prayers of the faithful may be answered. Rainfall is predicted to increase in volume and frequency in this part of Europe. But will it be substantial enough to improve the arid conditions significantly?

Weather anomalies are becoming increasingly evident worldwide. Despite this, the number of regions threatened by drought is still growing. Furthermore, two billion people globally do not have access to clean drinking water at home (according to national-geographic.pl).