One of many Amazon River’s primary tributaries has dropped to its lowest degree ever recorded, Brazil’s geological service mentioned Friday, reflecting a extreme drought that has devastated the Amazon rainforest and different elements of the nation.
The extent of the Negro River on the port of Manaus was at 12.66 metres on Friday, in comparison with a standard degree of about 21 metres. The earlier report low degree was recorded final yr, however towards the top of October.
The Negro River’s water degree may drop even additional in coming weeks based mostly on forecasts for low rainfall in upstream areas, based on the geological service’s predictions. Andre Martinelli, the company’s hydrology supervisor in Manaus, was quoted as saying the river was anticipated to proceed receding till the top of the month.
Water ranges in Brazil’s Amazon at all times rise and fall with its wet and dry seasons, however the dry portion of this yr has been a lot worse than typical. All the main rivers within the Amazon basin are at crucial ranges, together with the Madeira River, the Amazon River’s longest tributary.
The Negro River drains about 10 per cent of the Amazon basin and is the world’s sixth-largest by water quantity. Manaus, the most important metropolis within the rainforest, is the place the Negro joins the Amazon River.
