We are at the gates of the announced major change in weather. We have experienced the last hours of calm and heat for the time of year, and this weekend the meteorological situation will take a radical turn. It will be from midday and Saturday afternoon when showers and storms will gain ground from south to north in many regions. And Sunday will be a gray, rainy, and suddenly colder day. The rain may be heavy and, in some cases, accompanied by torrential downpours that leave significant accumulations in a short time. For this reason, Meteocat has activated the alert for intense rain in many regions that may leave more than 40 l/m² in just half an hour or more than 90 l/m² in three hours. The warning is red –danger 5 out of 6– in Vallès Oriental, la Selva, and el Maresme.

The weather remains calm for now, and today there will be few changes, with sun that will continue to combine with some thin clouds, low clouds, and fog. Temperatures will not move much, with an environment again warmer than it should be at this time of year in the middle of the day, after yesterday we touched 30 °C in Ponent. But these will be the last hours of calm and fair weather, as from the weekend on, the maps are confirming the significant change in weather that we have been announcing for days.

The calm weather will continue until Friday, with sun combined with thin clouds and high humidity, which will favor the appearance of new fog and low clouds, especially in parts of Central Catalonia, the coast, and the pre-coastal areas. All this with temperatures that will remain warm for the dates, although they will drop slightly after yesterday's atypical heat peak, which left many highs of 24 to 28 ºC -also on the coast- and almost 30 ºC in the Ebro valley. But this situation is limited, as from the weekend rains and the full autumn atmosphere will return, with a clear drop in thermometers. An anticyclone will settle over the British Isles, and this will allow a pocket of cold air to reach our area which, combined with the arrival of humid and warm maritime winds, will cause a clear increase in instability.

Low clouds and fog have been the protagonists of the last few hours in several regions, especially on the coast, pre-coastal areas, and Central Catalonia. Yesterday, there were even some local drizzles in these areas. On the other hand, in the western half of the country, the sun has continued to dominate. Despite these two different types of weather, calm has been the general protagonist, with temperatures remaining between mild and warm. And this will be the trend for the coming days, with absolute tranquility. However, the maps are shaping up a significant weather change in the medium term which, starting from the weekend, will cause precipitation to reappear and lead to a notable drop in temperatures.

In recent hours, the weather has been dominated by the presence of harmless high and low cloud intervals in various regions. A situation that will be repeated this Tuesday, with even more abundant low clouds and fog, especially on the coast, pre-coastal areas, and Central Catalonia, without even ruling out some light rain resulting from the same high humidity. Temperatures will be quite similar, after yesterday's atmosphere was quite warm at midday, with maximums that locally reached 30 °C in areas of the interior of the Ebro valley, such as Vinebre or the Riba-roja reservoir. The calm will remain for a large part of the week, but starting from the weekend, instability will increase and rain could arrive, with a clear drop in thermometers.

Monday morning has been much less cool everywhere, with a temperature that dropped less than on Saturday and Sunday, with minimums of 4 to 8 ºC in the inland spots where it was coldest, after the sub-zero values of Friday morning. Maximums will also rise everywhere and midday will be less cool, as already happened during the weekend, with some maximums locally returning to exceed 27 ºC. This week begins with very stable and anticyclonic weather, but with the passage of more high clouds and the formation of some harmless low clouds.

Head bowed and covered by a hat and hands on the bell ropes. Francesc Llop sees his profession in the gesture of his profile picture: when the rest of us mortals hear a sound, we lift our heads; a bell ringer, on the other hand, lowers his. The sound may announce a passing bell. The anthropologist and manager of the websitecampaners.com also explains the reason for his hat: it is well known that pigeons have an acquired taste for bell towers.

This morning the temperature dropped even less than on Saturday, with minimums of 1 to 4 ºC in those inland points where it was coldest, after the sub-zero values of Friday morning. Maximums will also rise everywhere and midday will be less cool, as already happened on Saturday. In addition, we will have a clear increase in cloudiness. Next week will also begin with an identical dynamic and without any notable weather change in sight.

The temperature did not drop as much as it did last Friday early this morning, with lows of 0 to 2 ºC in inland points, after the sub-zero values of Friday morning. Even so, the cold morning atmosphere remains, intense for the dates. During the weekend the thermometers will continue to recover little by little, but the night cold and the mildness or little heat during the day will remain. No rain is expected anywhere.

If you leave home early, bundle up well. Temperatures have dropped significantly and the environment is cold everywhere, typical of late autumn and with values below average. The entire interior and a large part of the pre-coastal area are below 10 ºC first thing in the morning, and even on the coast, lows have ranged between 9 and 14 ºC, while in the Pyrenees many frosts have occurred. Thermometers hit bottom today, and in the middle of the day the environment will be between cool and mild. All this with sun and calm that will dominate everywhere and it will no longer rain anywhere today for the first time this month of October. The north wind will continue, although it will lose strength and will not record gusts as strong as those of the last few hours at the ends of the country.

With the arrival of October, the streets begin to lose the colors of summer. The trees have already shed their first leaves, ocher and earthy tones gain space, and routines return to occupy the days. Autumn has something of a premiere and a pause at the same time: while we resume our course, perhaps we also look back a little.

Showers and storms are giving no respite, and today they will reappear in many regions. In fact, a large part of the country is on alert for this new wave of heavy rain that will take place mainly during the afternoon. In the morning there will be a break in the rain, although some initial showers will already fall in the south. Unlike recent days, the precipitation will arrive initially through the Ebre and Ponent areas, subsequently spreading towards the east and also reaching the coast, where some downpours will be repeated until nightfall. And the weather will not clear up in the coming days.

A new week begins that will once again be marked by unstable weather throughout our Mediterranean area. The truth is that the rain and downpours on the coast and pre-coastal areas this Monday morning are much more significant than initially forecast. The most affected region is the Vallès Oriental, where more than 100 l/m² have already fallen in a short time in some cases. In Granollers, for example, more than 80 l/m² have fallen in just one hour. Since it is raining on wet ground, all of this has caused serious flooding, and a risk of rivers and streams overflowing. For this reason, confinement has been requested in this region. Meteocat has activated a red alert for the entire coast and pre-coastal area of Barcelona and La Selva due to intense rain. More than 40 l/m² can accumulate in half an hour, or more than 90 in three hours.

The red alert remains activated due to the episode of torrential rain in the coastal, pre-coastal and northeastern regions of the country. An extraordinary convective mesoscale system has generated torrential rains, especially in the pre-coastal and central coastal areas, with accumulated amounts until 10 a.m. this morning of 288 l/m² in Vilassar de Mar, 255 l/m² in Mataró (Can Canyelles) or 248 l/m²in Granollers. Ultimately, the medicane (Mediterranean mini-hurricane) did not form, but, as the models indicated, the accumulated rainfall amounts have been historic. Notable are the 68 l/m² that fell this morning in just half an hour in Granollers, a figure of extraordinary torrential intensity. In Pineda de Mar, several rescues were carried out in ground floor homes and vehicles submerged by water, and in the city of Barcelona (Can Bruixa), the record for accumulated precipitation in 24 hours (data since 1914) was broken, with a total of 202 l/m².

Meteocat has activated a red alert –the highest possible– in view of the new episode of torrential rain expected in the coming hours in many counties of the coast, the pre-coastal areas, and the northeast of the country. Precipitation has already started to fall during the morning in the Ebro region, and throughout the day –especially in the afternoon– it will spread to many points of the coast, the pre-coastal areas, and the northern half of the country, with some downpours. It will be towards the night, the early hours, and Sunday morning when the peak of the storm is expected. With current maps, the rains could be intense and extraordinary in the northeast, the coast, and the pre-coastal area of Barcelona, with local accumulations that may exceed 200 or 300 l/m² in a few hours, strong winds, and extreme phenomena. Meteocat's alerts are for intense rain and accumulations of more than 40 l/m² in half an hour, 90 l/m² in three hours, and more than 200 l/m² in 24 hours.

The rainstorm affecting the Terres de l'Ebre since yesterday has already left more than 200 l/m² in some cases, as is the case in Santa Bàrbara (Montsià). Also noteworthy are the 138 l/m² in Alcanar. A lot of water has fallen in a few hours, often with torrential intensity, which has caused the sudden rise of rivers, streams, and ravines, and above all, flooding in these areas. In L'Ametlla de Mar (Baix Ebre), 108 l/m² have also been exceeded. And pay attention because the rain will intensify and continue falling in the same area during this Friday morning, even extending towards the Camp de Tarragona, where new downpours may occur. It has also rained heavily in many regions of Castellón and Valencia, where the episode has already left many records above 150 l/m². The Meteocat maintains warnings in the south of the country for intense rain that could leave more than 40 l/m² in just half an hour, or more than 90 l/m² in three hours. Also for accumulations of more than 200 l/m² in 24 hours. The alert is red in the Ebre and Castellón.

This Thursday we will have to be very attentive to the sky again. October begins today with an increase in instability, as showers and thunderstorms will gain ground irregularly in several regions. The main event is expected from midday and during the afternoon, when torrential downpours may occur. The areas most affected will be the Terres de l'Ebre, Castellón, and the coast of Valencia, where between today—especially from the evening onwards—and tomorrow, a period of significant, intense, and persistent rain is expected. The accumulations will be significant and may locally exceed 200 l/m² throughout the episode, with sudden downpours and a risk of flooding. Aemet has activated a red alert in these areas, with extraordinary accumulations that may exceed 150 l/m² in just six hours. However, Meteocat has also placed the Camp de Tarragona, the Penedès, and the Garraf on red alert due to the afternoon downpours.

This Monday, the corpse of a man without a head or limbs and in an advanced state of decomposition was found floating off the coast of Sagunto, in Camp de Morvedre, as reported this Wednesday by Efe, citing Civil Guard sources.