Storms continue to hit the Mediterranean area of Spain, with heavy rains and strong winds recorded in Tarragona, the Region of Valencia, the Balearic Islands and Murcia.
These adverse conditions could change the forecasts for the very important citrus and kaki campaigns, which are just around the corner in these areas. The abundant rains could have a positive impact on citrus fruits, since the harvest will still take a few weeks to start and the fruit's calibers could grow a little. However, the accumulation of water in the fields could cause moisture issues that will facilitate the spread of fungal diseases. At the same time, strong gusts of wind could also cause great amounts of fruit to fall from the trees.
For both products, the forecasts have been very good so far. In citrus fruits, the Region of Valencia expected about 30% less production and good quality fruit with commercial sizes. In kakis, for now the usual yields are expected. Last season, almost 60% of the production had been lost due to the impact of frost and hail.
There is tension and uncertainty in the sector, since according to AEMET, the storm will intensify on Thursday in the southeast, with 180 liters of rain per square meter expected to fall in just 12 hours. Alicante, Valencia, Ibiza and Formentera have issued code orange weather warnings, as wind gusts will reach up to 90 kilometer per hour. Yellow warnings have been issued in Almería, Barcelona, Tarragona, Navarre, Castellón and Murcia, where 70 to 80 kilometer per hour wind gusts are expected.