Carnival parades threatened by strong winds in Catalonia and hurricane-force gusts in the Valencian Community

Valencia / BarcelonaThe 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.

The wind event forecast for Saturday in Catalonia is not "comparable" to Thursday's storm—which caused one death, 86 injuries, and extensive property damage—but there is still a risk, and the public is urged "not to let their guard down" and to adopt preventative and self-protective measures, as explained to the media by the deputy director. For now, no trees or structural elements are expected to fall on Saturday, which could pose a "life-threatening" risk to people, but this second wind event will occur during Carnival, when various celebrations and parades are planned. Although the government has agreed not to adopt restrictive mobility measures in anticipation of the second peak and will not implement a general suspension of activities as it did on Thursday, Civil Protection believes that each municipality will have to "fine-tune" the conditions under which Carnival will be celebrated. "We have 24 hours to make adjustments that adapt to the reality of each municipality," Delgado pointed out, such as reinforcing the safety of the parade routes. Friday's rain has already forced the cancellation of some celebrations, such as in Sant Feliu de Guíxols (Baix Empordà), where the City Council has decided to postpone it until next Friday, February 20, due to the difficulty in moving the floats – whose decorations would be damaged – and the coordination of ambulances and security measures.

Ahead of Saturday, the Catalan Minister of the Interior, Núria Parlon, has urged municipalities to "adjust the routes or shorten the Carnival parades" due to the impact of strong winds. While acknowledging that the expected wind event will not be as violent as Thursday's, Parlon stressed the importance of "remaining prepared" and adopting safety measures. She requested that local authorities in areas where stronger gusts are anticipated analyze the "most vulnerable elements" and take the necessary steps to guarantee public safety, as was done with the Three Kings' Day parades. The Catalan government advises municipalities to reinforce the safety of the parade routes and assess their viability before they begin, and to suspend or postpone the parade in case of strong gusts. In fact, the Interior Ministry will oversee the celebrations through the Cecat technical committee, but will leave the decision on whether to continue the festivities to the local councils. "They are the ones who best know the routes and which elements are most vulnerable," Parlon explained.

"Very serious" wind impacts in Castellón

The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) has raised the alert level to red for strong winds this Saturday due to the risk of hurricane-force gusts that could exceed 140 km/h in Castellón. This level implies "extraordinary danger" and that property and vulnerable populations, or those in exposed areas, could suffer "very serious or catastrophic" impacts. The mistral wind will also hit at times with gusts of up to 150 km/h.

The alert for the rest of the Valencian Community has been raised to orange level for gusts that could exceed 90 km/h and even reach 100 km/h. Only the southeasternmost part of the Valencia region will be outside the highest-risk areas, where the alert level will be yellow. The force of the wind, which will affect both the coastal and inland areas, implies "extraordinary danger" with the possibility of falling branches, trees, and cornices, among other things. In addition to the wind, the warning also alerts to the risk of coastal phenomena and advises against approaching the sea.

The Valencian regional government has issued a series of recommendations, including avoiding walking under scaffolding or buildings under construction, staying away from tree-lined streets or parks, using public transportation, and keeping away from light poles and high-voltage power lines. In addition, several municipalities have decreed the suspension of outdoor activities and the closure of public spaces. Similarly, the Valencian Football Federation has announced the suspension of all matches scheduled for this Saturday.

Alongside the red alert, and due to strong winds, an extreme fire risk warning has also been issued for the Valencian Community, prohibiting any fires or mechanical work in forest areas. The red alert is expected to remain in effect throughout Saturday, downgrading to orange in the Castellón region on Sunday, yellow in Valencia, and leaving Alicante without any warnings.

Strong waves in the Empordà

Civil Protection has also activated an alert this Friday due to the forecast of strong waves, with waves that could exceed four meters, this weekend in the Alt and Baix Empordà regions. For this reason, the Catalan government is asking citizens to exercise extreme caution throughout the weekend and avoid approaching breakwaters or areas where waves break in these two regions. In addition, heavy snowfall is expected on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees at practically all elevations, and therefore the Neucat plan is in its pre-alert phase, given the forecast of intense snowfall between 1:00 PM this Friday and Saturday night, which will mainly affect the Vall d'Aran, and to a lesser extent. In this regard, the pre-alert phase of the Allaucat plan has been activated due to the forecast of a high risk of avalanches this Saturday in the Aran-Franja Nord Pallaresa area. The Cartographic and Geological Institute of Catalonia reports that high avalanche activity is expected due to the forecasted heavy snowfall and strong north and northwest winds.