Nearly 70% of Catalan municipalities are now considered high or very high risk areas for flooding and are therefore required to have a flood preparedness and action plan in case of heavy rain. This is according to the updated Inuncat plan, approved by the Catalan government on Tuesday, which raises the number of municipalities at risk to 656 (164 more than before). The remaining 231 municipalities are considered moderate or low risk; however, Civil Protection recommends that they also have their action plans ready. After 20 years in effect, the Inuncat plan has been updated to adapt to the effects of climate change. The new document—work on since the pandemic—includes a thorough review of the calculation criteria and the way warnings are communicated to the public. According to government and Civil Protection sources, the new criteria are already in place "internally," but they clarify that the official change and the implementation of the new system throughout the territory will take place "during the month of April," once all computer systems have been adapted.

Fallen trees, blocked roads and railway lines, and thousands of customers without power. These are some of the effects of the wind that has been affecting northern Spain since early Sunday morning, although the wind has been gradually weakening for several hours. This was confirmed by Civil Protection in a message on social media. In Ripollès, a tree that fell on a high-voltage power line abruptly left 2,900 customers without electricity. Endesa is currently working to remove it. This is not an isolated incident; more than 5,000 customers experienced problems in other areas of Girona due to various issues affecting a total of seven medium-voltage lines. The company "has reinforced its operational teams on the ground, as well as the resources at the control center" to respond to the incidents, which are mainly caused by fallen branches, trees, or other debris on the power lines.

Firefighters from the Generalitat (Catalan government) located a body in the Mogent River in Llinars del Vallès on Sunday. While identification is still underway, it is suspected that the body may be that of the 69-year-old man who went missing on Friday after the van he was traveling in was swept away by floodwaters as he attempted to cross a footbridge during a storm. ReginaThe body was located about 400 meters from where the vehicle was found, about 2.4 kilometers from the footbridge. "It is the lifeless body of a person who matches the description of the driver we were looking for," admitted Fire Department Sub-Inspector and head of the search, Oriol Pellisa.

Firefighters from the Generalitat (Catalan government) have been searching since Friday at midday for the driver of a van swept away by the Mogent River in Llinars del Vallès due to the recent heavy rains. On Saturday, the search area was extended to the sea because the water level was dropping significantly on Friday, explained the head of the operation, Sub-Inspector Héctor Serrat. He added that a helicopter flight was also conducted from the mouth of the Besòs River to the town. According to the Firefighters, it is "clear" that the person was inside the vehicle and "must be somewhere along the river," but as of Saturday night, there were no new developments. Serrat explained that the search would continue throughout Saturday night and into the early hours of Sunday morning, but with fewer personnel. Nightfall forced the withdrawal of aerial resources and personnel working in the water, leaving the search to approximately fifteen people who will continue the operation from land. The search is scheduled to resume on Sunday with the same team, which includes the use of a helicopter. Firefighters received a call from a relative of the driver on Friday at 2:32 p.m., alerting them that the man had called them from his car because it was stuck in the water and he was now reaching the cab. Although emergency teams gained access to the vehicle shortly afterward, which had overturned at the mouth of the Giola stream and the Mogent River, parallel to the AP-7 highway, they found no one inside.

The strong winds continue to batter Catalonia, and this Saturday the storm gusts blew away part of the radar at the Pení de Roses military station. It is a spherical structure, popularly known as the ball The Pení, which is made of sheet metal, was blown away by strong gusts of wind in the early afternoon.

We have started the year with a series of events that have highlighted the weaknesses of our system. The serious disruptions to the commuter rail network, with massive impacts on the movement of people and goods, and Thursday's episode of strong winds have created a climate of uncertainty that cannot be allowed to become the new normal.

One of the people injured this Thursday due to the strong winds of the storm Niles A 46-year-old woman died early this morning, as reported by Catalunya Ràdio and confirmed by ARA. She was struck by a section of the roof of an industrial building in the Sant Andreu district of Barcelona—where winds reached gusts of up to 105 kilometers per hour—and was hospitalized at Vall d'Hebron Hospital. The Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) are now investigating the case as a workplace accident, according to EFE. The incident occurred while the victim was on her break in an open area of ​​the building where she worked, which manufactured ventilation systems, the same agency adds.

Up to nine people have been hospitalized and another eighty injured due to the windstorm that paralyzed Catalonia this Thursday. The gusts of wind brought by the storm Niles Winds have exceeded 100 kilometers per hour in many areas, especially in the Barcelona region. After the worst of the storm, the Catalan government lifted the travel restrictions it had imposed throughout Catalonia, but continues to urge caution, and educational and university activities will remain suspended until nightfall. Non-urgent healthcare services were also suspended on Thursday. Despite criticism regarding the scope of these restrictions, the Catalan government maintains that they were "appropriate and correct" and that they helped reduce risks. The still-provisional tally of the storm's impact exceeds 3,400 fire department calls for wind-related incidents. Furthermore, the strong winds further disrupted public transportation, and also affected infrastructure such as El Prat Airport, leaving some areas without power. Regarding personal injuries, 86 people required medical assistance during the day due to wind-related incidents, according to the Medical Emergency System (SEM). Thirty-four people had to be taken to health centers, and eleven of the injured were treated in the Catalan capital. The most serious injuries affected the nine people who had to be hospitalized. The Catalan Health Department specified that two are in critical condition: a 46-year-old woman admitted to Vall d'Hebron Hospital after part of a roof collapsed on her in an industrial building, and a 22-year-old man admitted to Bellvitge Hospital after being struck by a falling tree. The young man is a Civil Protection volunteer, as is another man, 23 years old, who was also seriously injured and is now hospitalized at Bellvitge.

While arranging some bananas, a fruit vendor in Barcelona's Eixample district says it wasn't that bad. He imagined a "hurricane" when he saw the Generalitat's emergency warnings"It's windy," he remarks resignedly, because today he has far fewer customers and can't display as much fruit at the entrance of his shop for fear it will blow away. The owner of a nearby gym is also annoyed because a worker told him this morning that he wouldn't be coming in. That it was too windy to leave the house. He complains because the employee doesn't live far from the gym.

This Thursday, wind gusts exceeding 108 km/h are expected across Catalonia, particularly in the Barcelona and Central Catalonia regions. This is a dangerous phenomenon, and therefore the Catalan government is urging citizens to take extreme precautions, avoid unnecessary travel, and work remotely whenever possible. Below are some recommendations from Civil Protection on what to do in this situation.

The strong westerly winds forecast for the coming hours will bring Catalonia to a standstill this Thursday. The Minister of the Interior, Núria Parlon, has announced the suspension of all educational and university activities tomorrow, as well as non-urgent healthcare and all sporting activities—both individual and team—in open spaces, natural parks, and urban gardens. The resolution, which will be signed by the Catalan Government, will be in effect from midnight tonight until 8:00 PM on Thursday.

During the easterly winds of two weeks ago that hit Catalonia hard, The Empordà plain was completely floodedEspecially the entire stretch of the Baix Ter, on both sides of the riverbeds before the mouth, with crops ruined, roads closed, and beaches covered in sediment. Even the Ullà retaining wall, a 17th-century structure, was breached, suffering structural damage from the storm. Glory In 2020, a project diverted water from the river through irrigation ditches and streams for surrounding crops. Two weeks later, the damage is still visible: fields are covered in puddles, rural roads are damaged, streams continue to flow strongly, and the Ter Gorge is full of logs and debris. Repairing it will cost the local councils and farmers thousands of euros, and they have already requested assistance from the Catalan government. And this is by no means the first time this has happened: every five to eight years, when there is heavy rainfall in the region or when the river is full due to torrential rains in the Pasteral reservoir basin, the situation repeats itself. In fact, according to the Catalan flood zone map, the area between Girona and Estartit is one of the largest flood-prone zones in the country. For all these reasons, mayors, business owners, farmers, and scientists are demanding improvements and working on new initiatives to prevent, as far as possible, the effects of future floods. The region's main complaint focuses on the state of the roads, which on days of heavy rain makes it impossible to travel by car between municipalities such as Ultramort, Verges, Jafre, Sierra de Daró, Torroella de Montgrí, and Pals. The Central Board of Users of the Baix Ter, which represents some forty municipalities, private landowners, and the irrigation community, laments this situation: "Any emergency becomes extremely complicated and puts the safety of people at risk, for example, those who need to go to the hospital in Palamós or travel for family reasons," explains Francesc. €50 million to improve roads

This is a long-standing demand: to raise by half a meter roads that haven't been upgraded in decades, with narrow lanes, often two-way, and without shoulders that run directly onto the ditch. After several meetings, the Generalitat (Catalan government) has committed to this, and the Department of Territory, just before the outbreak of commuter rail chaosThe Catalan government presented the mayors with a comprehensive program of actions to improve the roads of the Baix Ter region, with a total investment exceeding 50 million euros. The main project will be the improvement of the Verges–Colomers route (GI-633 and GI-634), with a budget of 14 million euros, which includes widening seven kilometers of road and improving its alignment. The project will be put out to tender in the second quarter of this year, and work will begin in winter, along with other improvements to secondary roads. In parallel, following the effects of the storm, the Catalan Water Agency (ACA) also intends to launch a comprehensive flood risk study of the Baix Ter region to define structural measures and reduce risks.

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Much of the Iberian Peninsula is experiencing the effects of Marten, the fourteenth Atlantic storm of this winter, when the devastation caused by the Leonardowhich has left two dead and 11,000 displaced from their homes in Andalusia alone. Especially in Extremadura, Castile and above all in Andalusia, Marten has caused new evacuations and more flooding, foreshadowing economic losses in the millions, according to the president of the regional government, Juanma Moreno.

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Emergency services recovered the body on Friday of the woman who disappeared on Wednesday after falling into the river while trying to save her dog in Sayalonga (Málaga). The woman fell into the water while walking with a friend during the storm. LeonardoIt was the same friend who raised the alarm. The body was found about 1,000 meters from where the woman was last seen before falling into the Turvilla River.

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The passage of the storm Leonardo Across the Iberian Peninsula, especially in Andalusia, the storms have already left more than 4,000 people displaced as of Thursday. Since yesterday, up to 400 liters of rain have accumulated, causing floods, landslides, and mudslides, as well as damage to the main and secondary road and rail networks and flight delays. In Andalusia alone, more than 7,500 emergencies coordinated by the 112 emergency services have been recorded since the end of January as a result of the series of storms. Leonardo More than 2,300 Civil Guard officers and 2,240 National Police officers have been mobilized to respond to major emergencies. Among the incidents in the last few hours is the ongoing search for a woman who fell into the Turbillas River in Sayalonga (Málaga) on Wednesday night while trying to rescue her dog from the water. Emergency teams found the dog alive hours later.

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The unsettled weather continues unabated, and the Iberian Peninsula has already suffered the effects of up to six major storms over the past month. The latest is Storm KristinThe snowfall is significantly complicating the weather situation across the country this Wednesday. Snow, rain, and strong gusts of wind have triggered alerts in all autonomous communities except Navarre and the Canary Islands. The snowfall is particularly disrupting travel: in Madrid, the A-6 highway is closed to traffic between Guadarrama and Aravaca, and dozens of vehicles are stranded in the area. In total, more than 170 roads are affected nationwide, several at the red alert level (closed due to trucks and requiring the use of snow chains) in Ávila and Segovia, and between Cáceres and Salamanca.

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A landslide triggered by torrential rains has caused several houses and buildings to tumble down a large ravine. The incident occurred in the Sicilian town of Niscemi, a municipality of approximately 25,000 inhabitants located in the south of the island. One of the town's neighborhoods is literally suspended over the abyss. Local authorities are on high alert, as further landslides are still occurring. The situation is critical and could worsen in the coming hours. Although the landslide has not caused any casualties, it has forced the evacuation of some 1,500 residents.

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48 hours after the easterly wind that has severely battered the Girona region, with one fatality in Palau-Sator and one tragic train accident in GelidaThe cleanup, reconstruction, and damage assessment efforts have begun. Along the entire Costa Brava coastline, beaches are covered in sand and driftwood, while across the Baix Ter plain in the Empordà region, many apple, corn, and rice fields remain flooded due to the overflowing river, with some secondary roads still closed. The towns most affected by the Ter's flooding, as usual, are those closest to its mouth. Ullà, Torroella de Montgrí, Estartit, Gualta, Verges, and Serra de Daró were isolated throughout Tuesday due to large pools of water on the roads and roundabouts leading into and out of the towns. This is the area where the river runs at its fullest, as it receives the entire flow of the Onyar River, which, as it passes through Girona, was carrying a significant volume of water, reaching within meters of the famous colorful houses in the city center. And also the Daró stream, a dry riverbed that in the early hours of Tuesday was flowing at 500 m³/s through La Bisbal d'Empordà. This causes the water to flow along the slopes and cover fields and roads, without affecting the town centers, which are slightly elevated and farther from the streambeds, but leaving mobility completely disrupted.

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Firefighters' rescue teams located the body of a man on Tuesday night who, pending identification, could be the Fontanilles resident, around sixty years old, who was swept away with his car in the morning in the Palau-sator stream (Baix Empordà) due to the storm HarryWhile the river is usually dry, the town's mayor, Jordi Riembau, noted that on Tuesday it carried "five or six meters of water" after being collected from the Les Gavarres massif. The 112 emergency service received the alert at 7:30 a.m., at the same time that Civil Protection sent the ES-Alert message to mobile phones in four districts of Girona: Alt Empordà, Baix Empordà, La Selva, and Gironès. Throughout the day, ground teams searched for the man, but had to suspend the water search because conditions were unsafe in the area where the Ter and Daró rivers meet. Air teams (a helicopter and drones) continued the search with the support of some ground personnel. Once the river level in the stream receded, the roof of the vehicle became visible, and firefighters located it.

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2026 has started strong in terms of weather, and the coming days will be no exception. After a few calm and pleasant days, the situation will become quite complicated again towards the end of the week. The arrival of a mass of cold air of polar origin associated with an Atlantic low-pressure system and the formation of a new low-pressure system in our Mediterranean region will cause significant instability starting on Friday. We can expect gray and rainy days, and this episode could last until Tuesday. The weather maps even suggest a sudden increase in wind speed or a herring storm at the beginning of next week. This storm could bring significant amounts of rain to some areas, another significant snowfall in the mid and high elevations of the Pyrenees, strong winds, and rough seas. Meteocat has already issued a weather warning for Sunday through Tuesday due to accumulations of more than 100 liters per square meter in just 24 hours along the coast, pre-coastal areas, and the eastern half of the country, as well as for rough seas, as announced on social media by the agency's director, Sarai Sarroca.

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