The last precedents of strong or very strong El Niño episodes left worrying data that were exacerbated by the influence of global warming. The super El Niño of 2015-2016 was the most powerful on record, with an oceanic warming index of more than 2.5 ºC. An extraordinary fact that contributed to 2016 being the warmest year recorded worldwide up to then.

The world is looking towards the Pacific with unease. Forecasts from major international climate agencies warn of the probable formation of what has popularly been dubbed a super-Niño over the coming months in this area of the planet. An episode of the El Niño phenomenon much more intense than usual, capable of shaking global climate. Its consequences could range from extreme droughts to torrential rains in different parts of the planet, but above all due to a clear and general rise in temperatures.

El Niño is a natural climate phenomenon that occurs when the surface waters of the equatorial Pacific Ocean warm more than usual. This warming alters the usual large-scale circulation of winds and rainfall. Normally, trade winds push warm water westward in the Pacific, near Indonesia and Australia. But when these winds weaken, the warm water shifts towards the central and eastern Pacific, especially off the coasts of Peru and Ecuador. This causes the sea temperature to rise and alters precipitation.

Forecasts from various international climate agencies indicate that we are on the verge of an El Niño episode that could be one of the most intense in decades. Popularly, it has been nicknamed Superniño, and its effects will be global, especially with more extreme heat. We analyze this phenomenon and what impact it may have in Catalonia.

The weather will remain uncertain with more showers. In fact, a good spell of precipitation swept through the south of the country yesterday morning, with accumulations of up to 40 l/m² in Miami Platja (Mont-roig del Camp), 12 l/m² in Tivissa and in the PN of Ports and 11 l/m² in Riudecanyes. Throughout the midday and afternoon, showers continued in the Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees, with amounts ranging between 3 and 5 l/m² (in Espot, up to 14 l/m²). At the end of this information, we will add a more extensive list of accumulated rainfall amounts.

The presence of a bit of cold air at altitude and a slight drop in atmospheric pressure have made daytime clouds grow with enthusiasm in mountainous areas this weekend, with showers and storms that have intensified and will reappear on the afternoons of this new week. All this after yesterday's showers and storms - some of them of a certain intensity - mainly affected points in the northern half and left up to 38 l/m² in Cadí Nord, 21 in La Seu d'Urgell (Alt Urgell) or 20 in Molló (Ripollès). The downpours even reached - much weaker and more worn out - points on the coast and pre-coast of Girona and Barcelona. And this situation will extend for more days, also for Sant Jordi, with high temperatures for the season and increasing dust in suspension. Meteocat maintains an alert for intense rain in some counties:

The mass of warm air that has accompanied us all week has sent the mercury soaring across the country, with temperature values exceeding 30 °C for three consecutive days, a situation unusual at the beginning of April that reminds us that summer is approaching. These high temperature readings were not concentrated only during daytime hours, but it has also been hot at night. Specifically, the night from Thursday to Friday was the one that recorded the highest lows, with the first tropical night of the year in Catalonia (the second earliest since records began). The award for the first tropical night of 2026 goes to Portbou, in Alt Empordà, where the heated tramuntana wind prevented the mercury from dropping below 21.6 °C, values more typical of June or July.

The anticyclone keeps Atlantic fronts away and its warm ridge causes the thermometer to rise sharply during the day. This Sunday, for example, temperatures already approached 30 °C in Poniente, with 29.5 °C recorded in Alcarràs. The weather will remain spring-like everywhere on this final day of Holy Week and we will enjoy a 'dia de la mona' with temperatures more typical of May than early April. Only some changes are expected at the end of the week, with the approach of a front that could bring showers to the Pyrenees and a slightly cooler atmosphere.

An anticyclonic ridge embraces us and is causing the weather to remain fully spring-like in our territory. On one hand, we have a high-pressure center over the Bay of Biscay and another over the western Mediterranean. All of this causes the wind to be null or very weak and, furthermore, allows the atmosphere to warm up, especially at midday. Therefore, the last stretch of Easter will continue to be stable and with clear skies. Only some change is expected at the end of next week, with the proximity of a front that could bring showers and a slightly cooler atmosphere.

Over the past few hours, a pocket of cold air descending from northern Europe has swept across the region, bringing showers to areas of Girona, Barcelona, ​​the Pyrenees, the Pre-Pyrenees, and some stretches of the southern coast. The change in weather was sudden in these areas on Sunday afternoon and evening, following a generally mild and sunny first weekend of spring. Snow also fell again in the mid and high elevations of the Pyrenees. Between yesterday and early this morning, accumulations of 10 to 15 liters per square meter were recorded in the northern parts of Girona, and 1 to 8 liters per square meter in many other areas, accompanied by some local thunderstorms. In contrast, not a drop fell in the western part of the country and much of the southern half. Today, World Meteorological Day, the weather won't clear completely, but very little rain is expected, and from tomorrow onwards, sunshine and calm conditions will generally return.

The first weekend of spring has been radiant and windy. Temperatures have remained relatively mild, generally ranging between 17°C and 20°C this Saturday. This morning, we again experienced a marked temperature contrast between the cold and frosty mornings and the more pronounced mildness at midday. In fact, some weather stations in the Pyrenees recorded a temperature swing of almost 20°C between day and night (in Pont de Suert, with a high of 17°C and a low of -3°C).

The weather won't clear completely, and full stability won't arrive this week. We won't be seeing large amounts of accumulated rainfall, but there will still be a flow of humid air from the sea towards the ground and cold air aloft due to the proximity of a new Atlantic low-pressure system. This situation will make the weather changeable, with more showers, especially during the afternoons. Rain will be scarce in most of the country, and there will even be many periods of calm and sunshine. However, precipitation will return to the Valencian Community on Tuesday due to the passage of a cut-off low that will mainly affect the southern and western half of the peninsula. Catalonia will remain more unaffected by this situation, although some instability will persist. All of this comes after a weekend that has been still eventful and very changeable following the easterly winds (you will find a summary of the most significant rainfall data from the last few days at the end of this report).

The remnants of the last disturbance are still being felt, and rain has returned, adding new amounts to the more than 200 l/m² already recorded.² accumulated throughout the entire episode. The last showers on Saturday left between 20 and 40 liters per square meter on the southern coast and pre-coastal areas, although in several cases these figures were exceeded. The interior and pre-coastal areas of the northeast and south of the Ebro River are the areas where the most water accumulated during this entire episode, and in some cases, rainfall exceeded 150 or 200 liters per square meter (you will find all the most relevant updated data at the end of this report). The downpours of these last few days have caused the courses of many Catalan rivers to rise, some of which are saturated with the amount of water that has accumulated in recent months. Some have reached the flood risk threshold, such as the Ter in Sant Joan de les Abadesses (Ripollès), the Ges in Torelló (Osona), the Brugent in Amer (Selva), and the Muga in Sant Llorenç de la Muga (Alt Empordà).

The high-pressure system that settled over us this weekend will continue to bring very mild weather for much of this coming week. Blocking the passage of storms means that winds will be weak or nonexistent. Furthermore, solar radiation begins to intensify from this time of year, all of which contributes to a very pleasant atmosphere, with spring-like temperatures at times during the middle of the day. Yesterday, highs reached nearly 23 or 24°C in some areas of the pre-coastal region, the interior of the Girona region, and the Ebro Valley. In Aldover (Baix Ebre), temperatures reached 23.9°C, in Vallirana (Baix Llobregat) 23.5°C, and in the city of Girona, 22°C. In Vinebre and El Masroig, temperatures climbed to 21°C, and in Vielha, 19°C. We can expect sunny days, morning fog or mist, thermal inversion - colder mornings at lower elevations than at higher elevations - and a marked thermal contrast between day and night, with an oscillation that can reach more than 20 °C between day and night in the interior of the country.

The weather will remain calm and dominated by high pressure. This weekend has been mild, with highs reaching 20°C in Girona and Vall d'en Bas yesterday, for example. Temperatures generally ranged between 16°C and 18°C, with a warm feel due to the increasing intensity of solar radiation at this time of year. The anticyclone will settle in for the next few days, bringing sunshine, morning fog, and a marked temperature contrast between the cool mornings and the pre-spring-like warmth we'll experience at midday – the temperature difference could exceed 20°C. Therefore, the longest period of stable weather so far this year begins, following two consecutive months of storms and fronts that have brought rain, snow, and exceptional winds. In fact, since January 1st we've had ten storms, and since the start of the season – September 1st – we've had sixteen, extraordinary figures.

Atlantic storms are arriving in Catalonia these days weakened and not bringing much precipitation. In fact, we expect new fronts to arrive at the start of this week. The warm front arriving on Tuesday is particularly noteworthy because, beyond bringing precipitation mainly to the Ponent and Pyrenees regions, it will cause a significant rise in temperatures and the snow level. Mild weather is expected, bringing us the first taste of spring. For now, this Monday will see an increase in cloud cover, and the westerly wind will temporarily weaken and shift to the southwest. But strong winds will be the main feature this week, and between Wednesday and Thursday they could be significant in many areas.

The storm Marten It crossed our territory in the early hours and again in the morning, but it was weakened and inactive. Light rainfall fell from west to east, totaling no more than 3 or 4 liters per square meter.² (3 l/m² in Fogars de la Selva, 2.8 l/m² in Cabrils and in Malgrat de Mar and 2 l/m² in Barcelona). As it passes and after its rapid retreat, there will be northwesterly and tramontana winds. In fact, the dynamics will be similar in the last front (during the early hours of Saturday there were gusts of up to 70/80 km/h in the Camp de Tarragona, the Alt Penedès and the Montserrat massif).

Yesterday's snowfall left significant accumulations in regions that don't usually see so much snow. The cold air mass associated with a low-pressure system caused the snow level to drop to 300 meters. There were a few isolated snowfalls near the coast, such as on Tibidabo. However, the heaviest accumulations were in regions like Moianès, Segarra, and Berguedà (between 10 and 15 cm). Montsant also saw accumulations of around 15 cm (Prades). Further data on accumulated snow and rainfall are included at the end of this article.

We are experiencing the peak of the easterly storm, with the storm approaching closest. Harry in our house. The situation was already worsening yesterday, and since early this morning and throughout the morning, the rains have spread and are sweeping across the entire country. The most continuous and abundant rainfall is concentrated in the northeast, where since yesterday, rainfall has already exceeded 100 l/m² in several locations. And the rain continues to fall relentlessly throughout that area. In this regard, Meteocat has activated a red alert for observed rainfall accumulations of 200 l/m² in 24 hours in the Baix Empordà, while Aemet has activated a red alert – the highest level – in the Empordà for accumulations exceeding 180 l/m² in just twelve hours.

The episode of rain and snow that began over the weekend will reach its peak in the coming hours. Both Monday and Tuesday will be under the influence of the storm. HarryThis Mediterranean storm will bring easterly winds to our country, generating abundant rainfall, heavy snowfall in the eastern Pyrenees, and very rough seas along the entire coast, especially the Costa Brava and the central coast. It's raining on already saturated ground, which is why several reservoirs in the inland basins, which are practically full, continue to release water to make room for the new rainfall. Over the weekend, more than 100 l/m² accumulated in regions like Conca de Barberà and Priorat, and more than 80 or 90 l/m² were recorded in Camp de Tarragona. In the western Pyrenees, new snow depths exceeded 90 cm in Boí (2,500 m) and 60 cm in Espot (2,400 m). You will find more data and records of rainfall and snowfall at the end of this report.