The wind carries away the large 'ball' of the military radar on the Pení de Roses

BarcelonaThe strong winds continue to batter Catalonia, and this Saturday the storm gusts blew away part of the radar at the Pení de Roses military station. It is a spherical structure, popularly known as the ball The Pení, which is made of sheet metal, was blown away by strong gusts of wind in the early afternoon.

The storm is particularly affecting the Terres de l'Ebre, Pyrenees, Pre-Pyrenees, and Alt Empordà regions, where the Catalan government sent a new ES-Alert message to mobile phones this morning to alert the public. Specifically, Civil Protection asked people to avoid travel and outdoor activities while the wind persists. Winds reached 167 km/h in Portbou and 152 km/h in Boí.

Numerous incidents have been reported as a result of the storm. One of the most notable was at the Pení de Roses military station. This is the Air Surveillance Station (EVA-4), which detects and tracks aircraft flying within its coverage area. It is characterized by a sphere visible from various points on Cap de Creus, which was blown away by strong winds on Saturday. The Roses City Council has had to cancel the carnival parade scheduled for this afternoon, although it will proceed with Sunday's parade and hopes to reschedule Saturday's for Monday. The parades in Llançà have also been suspended, and L'Escala has replaced them with an indoor costume contest. The Catalan Fire Service has received a total of 681 calls related to the storm, primarily from the South Metropolitan region—which includes southern Barcelonès, Baix Llobregat, Alt Penedès, and Garraf—the Terres de l'Ebre, and Tarragona. These are mostly warnings because the strong gusts have caused walls, tiles, and bricks to fall onto parked cars, knocked down traffic signs, and uprooted solar panels and trees. In the Plaza Antonio Casanova in Tortosa, for example, a wall collapsed onto two vehicles parked below, and in La Sénia, the wind ripped off the roofs of the sports pavilion and the primary care center. In Deltebre, the wind caused several breaches in the Fangar area and seawater to enter the Canal Vell reservoir. According to initial estimates from the Left Bank Irrigation Community, some 400 hectares near Fangar are affected. The losses exceed one million euros, with consequences worse than Storm Gloria, so the organization will request a disaster declaration. The hurricane-force winds have also caused power outages in several towns, mainly in Montsià and Baix Ebre, where gusts reached nearly 150 km/h.

Mobility disruptions

The windstorm also caused traffic disruptions throughout Saturday, especially for trains and trucks. The Catalan Traffic Service (Servei Català de Trànsit) banned heavy goods vehicles (over 7,500 kg) from a 150-kilometer stretch of the AP-7 motorway between L'Arboç and Ulldecona due to the gale. Renfe, the national railway company, suspended its long-distance and medium-distance train services between Catalonia and the Valencian Community. Additionally, the AP-7 was closed northbound on Saturday morning in Hospitalet del Infant after a truck overturned, with traffic being diverted via exit 297 to access the N-340. The AP-7 was also closed in L'Ametlla de Mar due to fallen trees and an accident, while a second incident half a kilometer away forced the closure of one lane in the same municipality, according to the Catalan Traffic Service (SCT).