In the week before we arrived in Andalusia the regional government’s president, Juanma Moreno, spoke at a meeting of an expert committee monitoring the drought affecting many areas of Spain. Pointing out that at least 30 days of continuous rain was needed, he announced summer restrictions in several areas, including here.

Our landlord tells us that the periodic absence of water flowing from our taps is due to the drought. It’s an area experiencing the longest one since 1961, beginning 8 years ago in 2016.

In other parts of Spain it’s much worse. In many people routinely save water while showering and use it to flush the loo. When we got here we wondered why there were so many reused, 10 litre bottles of water lying around the flat and balcony. Now we know.

Across the country municipal fountains and beachside showers no longer flow. Washing cars and watering public gardens were an early casualty. In Catalonia, where it’s particularly bad, the authorities describe the situation as the worst ever, declaring a drought emergency just a few days ago.

Reservoirs supplying water to 6 million people, including Barcelona, are at a historic low – less than 16 percent of capacity. After three years of no substantial rainfall, emergency measures have been introduced in the city. It’s now illegal to refill swimming pools in hotels or campsites, unless with recycled water. A regular sound and light show beside the Maria Cristina fountain, built in 1929 for an International Exposition, has been suspended indefinitely (pictured below).

The impact of the increased demand placed on many cities and coastal areas by the summer influx of holidaymakers is a huge concern. In 2022 Spain registered more than 100 million international visitors. That’s over twice its population of around 48 million and, quite literally, a colossal drain on dwindling water resources.

Right now, after almost a week of warm sunshine, I’m sat in a cafe from which people look to leaden skies (Thursday evening), and there’s much talk amongst locals of the first rain in months, due around midnight and forecast to be torrential and last all day tomorrow.

We’ve already taken in all the cushions from our balcony and washing from the line, and people are battening down the hatches in the lull before the storm. But it’s one that everyone wants.

And while all this is going on, at this very moment, in the US Supreme Court, 9 justices, 6 of whom were appointed by Republican presidents, are deciding if the pussy grabbing, arch climate denier and indicted criminal, Trump, should be knocked out of the race for the presidency for inciting insurrection.

There’s a lot hanging in the air.