Catalonia, on alert for a great storm of rain and wind

BarcelonaCatalonia is experiencing an exceptional weekend due to a severe storm that has forced the paralysis of a large part of the country. From eight o'clock on Saturday evening until two o'clock on Sunday afternoon, mobility and many of the planned activities have been restricted in about twenty counties due to the threat of a 'medicane', a Mediterranean mini-hurricane that can be very violent and which will become more frequent due to the climate crisis. Torrential rains and strong winds have forced the activation of maximum alert on the coast and pre-coast of Barcelona, Tarragona, and Girona, as well as in the counties of Osona and Moianès, where flooding has occurred and there have been people who have been trapped and unable to return home. Sants station will be open all night and people who need to will be allowed to stay there to sleep.

"Stay at home," requested the President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, to the Catalans living in the areas most affected by the storms. Before the measures came into effect, the Catalan executive sent an alert to the mobile phones of the population in the affected counties, informing them of the suspension of activities in the natural environment, urban parks and gardens, the suspension of sports, cultural, leisure, and recreational activities, and also markets, fairs, and other commercial activities. It has also recommended teleworking whenever possible.

The restrictions are due to the forecast of a large amount of rain, as well as very strong winds, tornadoes, and waterspouts. In fact, the Meteorological Service of Catalonia has warned that more than 200 liters per square meter can accumulate in six hours or less in some areas. "The situation cannot be underestimated. I ask all citizens in the affected counties to follow all the instructions from Civil Protection and to comply with the restrictions that have been announced," insisted Illa. The affected counties are: Alt Empordà, Baix Empordà, Alt Penedès, Baix Llobregat, Barcelonès, Garraf, Garrotxa, Gironès, Pla de l'Estany, Vallès Occidental, Vallès Oriental, Maresme, Selva, Alt Camp, Baix Camp, Baix Penedès, Osona, Ripollès, Tarragonès, and Moianès.

Trains and flights cancelled

With this scenario, Rodalies and Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat have suspended train services from eight in the evening, coinciding with the entry into force of the restrictions. The Barcelona metro lines will operate only until midnight, whereas usually on Saturdays the service is operational throughout the night. The only services that will continue to run are the RL3 and RL4 lines of Rodalies de Lleida and the R16 line between Tortosa and l'Hospitalet de l'Infant, provided that meteorological and safety conditions allow it.

In the case of the AVE, three services scheduled for early Sunday morning have also been suspended on the section between Figueres and Barcelona, as well as a Euromed train and an Avant train. The circulation of Regional and Medium Distance trains in the Barcelona area has also been suspended from eight in the evening, according to Adif. The impact of the storm, however, has not been limited to trains: there have been flight cancellations and widespread delays this Saturday at El Prat airport.

Postponement of demonstrations

The storm has also imposed itself on the housing crisis that has marked the social and political agenda this week. A large demonstration was scheduled for this afternoon in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, which was finally suspended due to weather warnings from Civil Protection. The Tenants' Union has reported that the mobilization will finally take place on Monday, at 7:00 PM, at Plaça Urquinaona in Barcelona.

On the other hand, the people camped in Plaça Catalunya in Barcelona have decided to maintain the protest, despite the maximum alert for torrential rain and the union's warnings to follow the restrictions. "The assembly has decided that we are staying here, under any circumstances," the encampment spokesperson Kiara Monrroy told the ACN, who has asked citizens to bring materials such as awnings or wood to be able to cope with the bad weather.

Another of the weekend's events, the final of the Tarragona Human Towers Competition (Concurs de Castells) scheduled for this Sunday, will not be suspended either: it will be delayed until the afternoon, when the torrential rain alert will no longer be active. The day reserved for the twelve best groups of the moment, according to the ranking of the Coordinator of Human Tower Groups (Coordinadora de Colles Castelleres), will finally be held starting at 4:00 PM, and not at the usual time of 10:00 AM.