Alert in many regions due to a new gale: the effects of Storm 'Pedro' are arriving
The wind will be strong, especially in the southern half of the country, and it will snow in the Pyrenees, but a high-pressure system will settle in over the weekend.
BarcelonaAfter much of Wednesday's calm and mild midday weather, a front associated with the storm will begin arriving in the evening. Peter This weather front will bring the first showers to the Pyrenees and the western part of the country. These showers may linger briefly in other areas until the early hours of the morning, especially in the north and the western region. This front will bring strong winds to several regions tomorrow, particularly in the southern half of the country. Thursday will be windier and less mild, after gusts exceeded 100 km/h in the high Pyrenees today. The Ventcat plan is activated at the alert level, and Meteocat has issued numerous warnings for gusts that could easily reach 70 or 90 km/h, but which will exceed 100 km/h in the windiest areas, locally reaching 120 km/h. More snow is expected on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees, and more is forecast for the rest of the region on Thursday. However, this will be the final act of the fronts and storms of the last few weeks, as in the coming days the anticyclone will settle in and the weather will be calm and sunny.
Night and early morning: showers in some areas
Throughout the afternoon and evening, a weakening front has been approaching, bringing precipitation to the Pyrenees, particularly on the northern slopes, until the early hours of the morning. The snow level will fluctuate between 800 and 1,100 meters. Additionally, some passing showers are expected in the rest of northern and western Spain. While some rain is possible in other regions, it is unlikely to spread. In the northeast, there is a chance of isolated thunderstorms, where a few showers or light rain may continue into the early morning, clearing quickly. West and northwest winds will strengthen across central and southern Spain, the Pyrenean peaks, and higher elevations in the northeast interior.
Thursday: strong winds in many regions
Once the front moves through, the main news on Thursday will be the strong westerly and mistral winds blowing across many regions. The most affected areas will be the southern coast and pre-coastal areas of Barcelona, the Camp de Tarragona, the Terres de l'Ebre, other regions such as Anoia and Conca de Barberà, northern Castellón, northern Catalonia, and the higher elevations of the Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees. Wind speeds in these areas could exceed 100 km/h.
The wind will also blow strongly in the Barcelona area and in the Ponent region, although not as intensely, as well as in the valleys of the eastern Pyrenees. Gusts in these areas could locally exceed 70 or 80 km/h. Northwesterly winds will also strengthen in the northern Alt Empordà. Furthermore, precipitation is expected on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees, with the snow level rising to 1,300 m, although it will drop back down to 1,000 m in the afternoon.
Bright sunshine is expected across the rest of the country, with only lingering cloud cover in the northeast and other parts of the Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees. Temperatures will drop, with a steeper decline around midday. Many highs will range between 12 and 17 °C, significantly lower in mountainous areas. In fact, conditions will be very adverse at higher elevations in the Pyrenees, with snow, blizzards, very strong winds, and freezing temperatures.
The anticyclone is arriving
On Friday, the wind will still blow strongly in the south, in the Alt Empordà region, and on the Pyrenean peaks, but it will gradually subside throughout the day. There will also be some light and intermittent showers on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees. Sunshine and calm weather will gradually increase, and by the weekend, a high-pressure system will have taken hold. We have several days of sunshine, calm weather, and fog ahead. The temperature contrast between the moderate morning chill and the mild midday temperatures will also become more pronounced, as will the temperature inversion, with colder nights at lower elevations than at higher elevations. This sustained stability is something we haven't yet experienced this year.