Illa warns that a possible "mini-hurricane" is coming and the Government asks to limit outdoor activities

BarcelonaThe President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, warned this Saturday that a possible "Mediterranean mini-hurricane" is coming to Catalonia and announced that the Government will decree "important" prevention measures that it has urged to be respected "from this evening and throughout the day tomorrow". "This is not a joke, a very complex meteorological situation is coming," said Illa, who insisted on following the authorities' recommendations. In fact, Illa will chair a follow-up meeting of the Inuncat plan this afternoon at the Interior's Cecat room to monitor the rains, and at 5 p.m., the minister, Núria Parlon, will appear.

About twenty Catalan counties are at maximum danger level due to heavy rainfall, especially on the coast and pre-coast of Tarragona, Barcelona, and Girona, which is where there is a risk of "a Mediterranean mini-hurricane". It is a meteorological phenomenon called a mesoscale convective system which, in addition to intense rainfall, can be accompanied by very strong winds, tornadoes, or waterspouts, warned Santi Segalà, head of the Prediction Area of the Meteorological Service of Catalonia. For this reason, Civil Protection asks to restrict mobility between eight in the evening this Saturday and two in the afternoon on Sunday. This affects activities such as the human towers competition or the large demonstration planned for this afternoon in defense of the right to housing, which the Tenants' Union has already suspended and postponed to Monday.

"We are facing a meteorological episode that could be exceptional," warned Segalà. The Meteocat warning affects this Saturday the counties of Alt and Baix Empordà, Pla de l'Estany, La Garrotxa, Gironès, La Selva, Maresme, Vallès Oriental and Occidental, Barcelonès, Baix Llobregat, Garraf, Alt Penedès, Baix Penedès, Alt Camp, Tarragonès, Baix Camp, Moianès, Osona, and Ripollès. The deputy director of Civil Protection, Imma Solé, informed that this afternoon an Es-Alert will be sent to mobile phones to explain the situation to citizens.

The director of Meteocat, Sara Sarroca, has warned that the "situation could become complicated" in the coming hours, with large accumulations of water. The Ebro Hydrographic Confederation (CHE) has intensified surveillance due to the forecast of heavy rains in different parts of the basin and has warned of the possibility of sudden rises in ravines and minor riverbeds during this afternoon and tonight. For all these reasons, Solé has insisted on avoiding travel and activities that could put citizens at risk. "Let us be aware that now is not the time to do them," she said.

Demonstration postponed

Given this scenario, the Tenants' Union has already postponed the demonstration that was to take place this Saturday afternoon in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat. The mobilization will finally take place on Monday, at 7 p.m., and it also changes location: it will be held at Plaça Urquinaona in Barcelona. The initial call was scheduled for Plaça Pius XII in L'Hospitalet, with columns from Barcelona, Badalona, Cerdanyola, Terrassa, Sabadell, El Maresme, and the R2 South line. The organizers had planned it as a central demonstration in Catalonia, following the rejection of the two decrees this Friday in Congress.