A DROUGHT has emptied a Spanish reservoir revealing a ghost village 30 years after it was submerged by a dam.

       With almost no rain for two months and not much expected any time soon, the ruins of Aceredo are dredging up a mix of emotions for locals.

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       The skeleton of the old village Aceredo has emerged in its entirety Credit: Reuters 10

       While the area has historically experienced periods of drought, experts say climate change has exacerbated the problem Credit: Reuters 10

       Below-average rainfall over the last six months is likely to continue for several more weeks Credit: EPA

       Roofs peeking out of the water have become a common sight every summer at the Lindoso reservoir in northwestern Spain.

       Locals can see the rusted carcass of a car, a stone fountain with water still spouting and the old road leading to what used to be the local bar.

       In especially dry years, parts of the old village of Aceredo would appear submerged three decades ago when a hydropower dam flooded the valley.

       But never before has the skeleton of the village emerged in its entirety in the middle of the usually wet winter season.

       Pensioner Maximino Perez Romero, 65, from A Coruna, said felt as if he was watching a movie.

       He said: "I have a feeling of sadness.

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       "My feeling is that this is what will happen over the years due to drought and all that, with climate change."

       Jos Luis Penn, 72, used to stop at the bar with pals at the end of a day's fishing.

       He said: "The whole place used to be all vineyards, orange trees. It was all green. It was beautiful."

       Penn, who lives in the same county, pointing at the cracked, yellow bed of the reservoir, added: "Look at it now. It's so sad."

       RAINFALL DROPPED

       While the arid zones of the Iberian Peninsula have historically experienced periods of drought, experts say climate change has exacerbated the problem.

       This year, amid record levels of low or no rainfall at all, farmers in both Portugal and Spain, who are growing produce for all of Europe, are worried that their crops for this season will be ruined.

       In the last three months of 2021, Spain recorded just 35 percent of the average rainfall it had seen during the same period from 1981 to 2010.

       But there has been almost no rain since then.

       According to the national weather agency AEMET, in this century, only in 2005 has there been a January with almost no rain.

       If clouds don't unleash in the next two weeks, emergency subsidies for farmers will be needed, authorities said.

       But Rubén del Campo, a spokesman for the weather service, said the below-average rainfall over the last six months is likely to continue for several more weeks, with hopes that spring will bring much-needed relief.

       CROPS AT RISK

       While only 10 percent of Spain has officially been declared under a prolonged drought, there are large areas, particularly in the south, which are facing extreme shortages that could impact the irrigation of crops.

       The valley around the Guadalquivir River in Spain's southwest was declared under prolonged drought in November.

       It is now the focus of a fierce environmental dispute over water rights near Do？ana National Park, a World Heritage wetland site.

       The government of the Andalusia region wants to grant water rights to farmers on land near the park, but critics say the move will further endanger a major wildlife refuge that is already drying up.

       The past two, three years have been dry, with the tendency toward less and less rain, said Andres Gongora, a 46-year-old tomato farmer in southern Almeria.

       Gongora, who expects the water he uses from a desalinating plant to be rationed, is still better off than other farmers who specialize in wheat and grains for livestock feed.

       The cereal crops for this year have been lost, Gongora said.

       The leading association of farmers and livestock breeders in Spain, COAG, warns that half of Spain's farms are threatened by drought this year.

       It says if it does not rain heavily in the coming month, rain-fed crops including cereals, olives, nuts and vineyards could lose 60 percent to 80 percent of their production.

       But the association is also worried about crops that depend on irrigation, with reservoirs under 40 percent of capacity in most of the south.

       Spain's left-wing government plans to dedicate over €570 million (￡477 million) from the European Union's pandemic recovery fund to make its irrigation systems more efficient, including incorporating renewable energy systems.

       Spanish Agriculture Minister Luis Planas said this week the government will take emergency measures if it doesn't rain in two weeks.

       Those would likely be limited to economic benefits to palliate the loss of crops and revenues for farmers.

       INCREASE OF DROUGHTS

       Neighboring Portugal has also seen little rain since last October. By the end of January, 45 percent of the country was enduring severe or extreme drought conditions, according to the national weather agency IPMA.

       Rainfall from October 1 through January was less than half the annual average for that four-month period, alarming farmers who are short of grass for their livestock.

       Unusually, even the north of Portugal is dry and forest fires have broken out there this winter. In the south, crickets are already singing at night and mosquitoes have appeared traditional signs of summer.

       The IPMA doesnt forecast any relief before the end of the month.

       Portugal has witnessed an increase in the frequency of droughts over the past 20-30 years, according to IPMA climatologist Vanda Pires, with lower rainfall and higher temperatures.

       Its part of the context of climate change, Pires told The Associated Press.

       And the outlook is bleak with scientists estimating that Portugal will see a drop in average annual rainfall of 20 percent to 40 percent by the end of the century.

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       The ruins of Aceredo are dredging up a mix of emotions for locals Credit: Reuters 10

       In especially dry years, parts of the old village of Aceredo would appear submerged Credit: Reuters 10

       Roofs peeking out of the water have become a common sight every summer at the Lindoso reservoir Credit: AP 10

       Never before has the skeleton of the village emerged in its entirety in the middle of the usually wet winter season Credit: AP 10

       The drought, produced in the Galician basins by the lack of rain, has left Aceredo uncovered Credit: Getty 10

       Locals hope that spring will bring much-needed relief Credit: Reuters 10

       Areas in Spain and Portugal are facing extreme shortages that could impact the irrigation of crops Credit: AP