BarcelonaThe 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 Catalan Government is urging extreme caution due to the passage of the Atlantic storm.NilesThis is the eighth major storm of the year in the country, and authorities recommend avoiding all non-essential travel by any means of transport, especially by road. They also urge people to minimize outdoor activities and work from home whenever possible given the widespread winds. In the afternoon, Civil Protection deployed an ES-Alert to inform the public about the situation and explain the preventative measures that will be implemented. "Walls can fall, signs can fall, traffic lights can fall," warned Parlon, urging the population to minimize their time outdoors.
This is the first time this alert has been issued for a wind event. In fact, the widespread gale currently affecting Catalonia has "very few precedents," explained Sarai Sarroca, director of Meteocat. "It could be the largest wind event in Catalonia in terms of both extent and intensity in the last 15 or 20 years," she predicted. As of Wednesday afternoon, the 112 emergency service had received 870 calls and firefighters had responded to 450 incidents, mainly due to fallen trees or building debris. On Wednesday, wind gusts exceeded 100 km/h at a dozen weather stations by 12:30 PM: 140 km/h was recorded in Vallès Oriental, 115 km/h in Montserrat, and 107 km/h in Miami Platja. However, this intensity is expected to affect more regions tomorrow, raising the danger level to 5 and 6, the maximum anticipated. In fact, Meteocat has raised the alert for strong winds to the highest level across much of the country, with red alerts in the Barcelona area. A pre-alert for high waves will also be in effect this Thursday, affecting the coast of Tarragona and the Empordà region. The storm protocol has been activated in the Barcelona metropolitan area, and the AMB (Barcelona Metropolitan Area) is urging people to stay away from beaches and breakwaters. Access to Collserola Park will also be prohibited throughout the day. Furthermore, the avalanche risk emergency plan is activated at the pre-alert level.
Limits on transport and activities
Regarding the anticipated disruptions to public transport, Parlon explained that Renfe and Adif have opted to maintain service on the rail network – which has already been limited for almost three weeks – and the alternative road transport plan implemented in recent days. However, the Minister warned that there may be speed restrictions and that if any incidents occur, it may be necessary to halt train service on certain sections. In fact, there will be trial runs to ensure the safety of the tracks, and trains will be stopped if any issues are detected, such as fallen trees on the tracks. Regarding mobility, the Catalan Traffic Service will also restrict the movement of heavy goods vehicles in the most affected areas. These vehicles will have to travel in the right lane and will not be allowed to proceed. The restrictions will be concentrated mainly on the C-16, C-17, C-25, AP-7, and C-58 highways, and especially on the Barcelona metropolitan ring road.
The mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, also announced this Wednesday that the Bicing bike-sharing service will be suspended on Thursday due to the strong winds forecast for the city, but the rest of the public transport will operate normally. The AMBici bus service and the AMB tourist buses will also be suspended all day.
In addition, activities in Barcelona for the Santa Eulalia festival will also be canceled, as well as the cultural events planned for the day. The City Council had already announced this Wednesday morning the closure of parks and gardens and activated the Municipal Action Plan for strong winds at the alert level; construction and work in public spaces are also suspended.
As a precaution against strong winds, community centers and day centers for the elderly will also be closed this Thursday, and family visits to nursing homes are suspended. In addition, the Red Cross will make preventative calls to 600 elderly users of the Telecare service who suffer from chronic illnesses or are in a situation of extreme vulnerability, reminding them what precautions to take in the event of high winds. Centers for people with disabilities (CAD) and dependency assessment centers will also be closed, while other specialized social services will operate, although some will have only a minimal staff.
Second episode for Carnival
The head of the forecasting department at the Meteorological Service of Catalonia (Meteocat), Santi Segalà, has indicated that the expected strong winds are "top-tier" and will affect all regions "without exception." Forecasts predict a respite on Friday, but a second episode will arrive on Saturday with northerly winds, particularly impacting the country's extremes—the Pyrenees, the Pre-Pyrenees, the Empordà, the Terres de l'Ebre, and the Camp de Tarragona—and will coincide with the Carnival parades. In this regard, the deputy director of Civil Protection, Imma Soler, has stated that they will ask municipalities to assess their planned weekend activities to determine if changes are necessary or if their feasibility needs to be evaluated. She also suggested that they review any equipment and Carnival parade routes to determine if such inspections are required. In fact, Parlon warned that the wind could wreak havoc in urban areas due to fallen trees, lampposts, or bus stops. So far, the Catalan Fire Service has responded to more than 600 calls related to around 500 incidents (mostly fallen trees and damage to building facades), with no injuries reported.
In the Catalan capital, First Deputy Mayor Laia Bonet urged citizens to "exercise extreme caution" because the situation is "highly unusual": "Barcelona does not normally experience winds of this intensity." She added: "We want to emphasize the need to take extreme precautions and avoid unnecessary risks. This means closing doors and windows, removing objects that could fall from balconies and windows onto public streets, and exercising extreme caution when traveling within the city." The episode forecast for this Thursday is similar to the one that occurred in 2014, when two people died in Terrassa and one in Vandellòs due to winds that reached speeds exceeding 150 km/h.
Workers can take paid leave
The Catalan government has reminded workers that they are entitled to paid leave if they cannot reach their workplace due to the wind risk alert, and the Department of Labor has also urged companies to facilitate teleworking for their staff whenever possible. The general recommendation to avoid commuting to work without penalty is based on Article 37.3 g of the Workers' Statute, which authorizes up to four days of leave for "adverse weather phenomena."
The UGT union has called for "corporate responsibility" and demanded that companies apply "immediately" the article, which recognizes the right to be absent from work with pay in situations of force majeure, and Foment del Treball has recommended that companies "exercise extreme caution and ensure all preventive measures and productive activity.
Seat has decided to cancel shifts at all its plants in Martorell, Barcelona, and El Prat due to the alert, according to a statement from the CCOO union. For now, Wednesday night shifts and Thursday morning shifts are suspended, and a decision will be made before noon, depending on how the alert develops, regarding whether or not the afternoon shift will operate.
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