Eight autonomous communities are on alert this Wednesday for rain, storms, wind, snow or adverse coastal phenomena, due to the arrival of a DANA, that will cause intense rainfall in the Mediterranean area and a preview of winter cold in some inland areaswhere temperatures will not exceed eight degrees in some points.
The State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) has issued a red notice due to extreme risk due to intense and persistent rains on the southern coast of Tarragona and in areas of the province of Malaga. Several areas of the city are also under an orange warning due to a significant risk of heavy rain. Valencian Community, Balearic Islands and Catalonia. In addition, the yellow warning for waves has been activated on the coasts of A Coruña, Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera, Alicante, Barcelona, Castellón, Girona, Lugo, Murcia and Valencia. Inside, there isyellow warning due to snowfall in the north of Cáceres and in the provinces of Ávila and Salamancaespecially in the Central System area.
“The most adverse situation will be in the south of the province of Tarragona, especially the coastal area, and Malaga (Costa del Sol, Guadalhorce Valley and Axarquía), where they are expected very abundant and persistent rains”the AEMET spokesperson, Rubén del Campo, stated in the program ‘Más de uno’. “It can be raining intensely in Malaga for several hours and in the province of Tarragona more than 180 l/m² can accumulate in less than 12 hours. These are very abundant quantities in a short time, and if this forecast is fulfilled, it will lead to overflows, floods“Del Campo added.
Malaga, possible “ground zero”
In Malaga, the most affected regions will be the Costa del Sol, Guadalhorce and Axarquía, where accumulations of 120 liters in 12 hours or 50 liters in just one hour are expected. In the Antequera area, the accumulated precipitation could reach 40 liters in one hour or 100 liters in 12 hours. The red alert in this province will be in force from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. today, with an express recommendation from AEMET to take extreme precautions. In Andalusia, other provinces such as Granada are under an orange warning, where rainfall of up to 40 liters in one hour or 100 liters in 12 hours is expected, especially on the coast and in the Genil basin. On the other hand, in Córdoba and Seville the alert level is yellow, with rains of up to 20 liters in one hour or 50 liters in 12 hours expected.
Red notice in Tarragona
In Catalonia, Tarragona is in red due to very heavy rains that will leave accumulations of 180 liters in 12 hours, possibly accompanied by storms, and rainfall of between 40 and 60 liters in one hour. In addition, the province has an orange alert for strong winds from the east and northeast that will reach between 55 and 65 km/h, generating waves of 3 to 5 meters. Barcelona and Girona are in the yellow level, affected by moderate rains and adverse coastal phenomena with rainfall of up to 20 liters in one hour.
The rains return to the Valencian Community
In the Valencian Community, all provinces are on orange alert for intense rains that could accumulate between 40 and 60 liters in one hour or between 120 and 150 liters in 12 hours, with storms expected in several areas. The Islands
Orange alert in Mallorca
The Balearic Islands also present a complicated panorama: Ibiza, Formentera and Mallorca maintain the orange alert for rains that will accumulate up to 40 liters in one hour or between 100 and 120 liters in 12 hours, while Menorca is on yellow alert with rains that will reach 20 liters in an hour. Besides, Castilla y León, Extremadura, Galicia and the Region of Murcia are on yellow alert, either due to snowfall or adverse coastal phenomena.
Where will temperatures drop the most?
As for temperatures, they will rise in the Balearic Islands and the Pyrenees, and will fall in the rest of the country, notably in the southeastern interior of the peninsula. According to Servimedia, it will be colder in Ávila, Burgos and Soria (8 degrees at most); Segovia (9) and Ciudad Real, Palencia and Vitoria (10), and more heat in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife (24), Melilla and Palma (21), and Alicante (20). Thus, almost the entire peninsula will be below 20 degrees. Temperatures will be more typical of mid or late December than mid-November in Seville (17), Murcia (16), Jaén (12), Zaragoza (11); Ciudad Real, Palencia and Vitoria (10); Segovia (9) and Ávila, Burgos and Soria (8).
How long is it going to rain?
As of Thursday, uncertainty about the evolution of DANA increases, although heavy rains are expected to persist in western Andalusia, the Mediterranean coast between the Ebro delta and Cape Nao, the center of the peninsula and the Central system. In these regions, rainfall could accumulate between 60 and 80 liters per square meter, locally exceeding 120 liters. It is likely that from Saturday onwards, rainfall will begin to lose intensity in the Mediterranean, moving towards the Atlantic slope and the Empordà. However, uncertainty about the evolution of the episode remains very high, points out the AEMET.