The strong winds will continue unabated this Saturday, coinciding with the Carnival celebrations. Although no life-threatening situations comparable to those of Thursday are expected, there is a possibility that some street celebrations may have to be postponed or that some routes may need to be revised. This Saturday, and until the early hours of Sunday, the weather forecast warns of strong gusts of mistral and tramontana winds, which could exceed 80 km/h. The wind will also blow intensely in Ponent, southern Central Catalonia, and part of the Barcelona area. And hurricane-force gusts are expected in the Valencian Community, specifically throughout the province of Castellón.

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.

The abundant and continuous rains of recent weeks have saturated the ground. This situation was unthinkable just a year ago, when Catalonia was still suffering the effects of a historic drought. We have gone from one extreme to the other in a matter of months, and, as is often the case, excesses are never good. Although it may seem unbelievable, so much water is also not good for some trees, as they can fall more easily if a storm with strong winds arrives with gusts of more than 80 or 100 km/h.