Maximum alert due to "intense" snow episode planned for this weekend

BarcelonaA major episode of snow, with strong winds and bad sea. This is the Catalan Meteorological Service forecast for the next few hours, and the Generalitat is asking for extreme caution and, as far as possible, not to travel and to stay at home. The circulation of heavy vehicles (from 7.5 tonnes on) will be restricted from 7 p.m. today until 6 a.m. on Monday.

Home Affairs stresses that the episode of bad weather is expected to be "intense" and "very widespread", which is why it recommends to avoid moving around because of the risk of incidents. "These are days for all of us to stay at home", summarised Minister Miquel Sàmper at a press conference, who called for no travel, only "necessary and undelayable".

The weather forecast, which draws a particularly complicated scenario for Saturday, has forced the Mossos d'Esquadra (the Catalan police force) to adapt their plans, since they must control the mobility that takes place throughout the weekend, when the municipal lockdown is in force due to the pandemic. The spokesman for the police force, Joan Carles Molinero, said that strategic checkpoints will be deployed on the road network to cut off roads before the snow makes them impassable and vehicles become trapped. In any case, he recommended avoiding driving whenever possible.

The director of the Catalan Meteorological Service, Eliseu Vilaclara, appeared to explain the "cocktail" of snow, wind, rain and rough sea that is approaching. Between Saturday and Sunday it will snow at almost all levels, and thick snow is expected mainly in the interior of Catalonia, as well as in the southern and northeastern parts. A sea storm is also expected, accompanied by strong gusts of wind from the east.