Clear improvement in the weather today, but new changes and colder temperatures are on the horizon.
Sunshine and calm will prevail for at least two days, with the situation expected to change again during the final stretch of the week.
BarcelonaThe weather will improve today after the recent rains. The downpour that fell throughout yesterday afternoon and evening in northern Barcelona was particularly noteworthy. The storm's epicenter was Badalona, where some neighborhoods, such as Llefià, accumulated more than 100 or 120 liters per square meter. This heavy rainfall in a short period caused numerous incidents, including flooding in basements, shops, and streets, as well as disruptions to public transport and roads, and power outages. It was the rainiest day in Badalona since November 2018, and the heaviest rainfall in December since 2007. This extraordinary downpour exceeded all forecasts, and such intense storms with lightning and thunder are unusual in December. The heavy rain also affected other parts of the Barcelona area, but with less damage.
Showers returned to many areas, but by no means everywhere. This time the rain was concentrated mainly along the coast and pre-coastal areas of Barcelona and Tarragona, with some locally intense storms that, apart from Badalona, in some cases left more than 30 or 50 liters per square meter (you will find the rainfall totals at the end of this report). But after two very unsettled days, this Wednesday will bring more sunshine and calm, with lingering precipitation only in the south of the country. Thursday will likely be the most pleasant day of the week, with temperatures rising slightly. But by the end of the week, new changes will arrive, continuing into Christmas week, with more rain, snow in the Pyrenees, and colder temperatures.
Wednesday: more calm
Today we wake up to high humidity again, resulting in fog and low clouds in many areas. However, the sun will prevail in many regions, with some remaining cloud cover, especially along the coast and pre-coastal areas. In fact, some rain will continue in the Terres de l'Ebre, where it rained overnight. A moderate morning chill is expected, with temperatures clearly below freezing in the higher Pyrenees. There will also be frost in some Pyrenean valleys, while midday highs will rise by one or two degrees. In the afternoon, the sky will remain partly cloudy to variable, with sunshine dominating in many regions, particularly inland and in the Pyrenees. A few scattered showers are expected, but only in the mountains of Tarragona and along the Ebro River. The Valencian Community will once again be a rather overcast day with more showers, which could be locally heavy. Variable weather in the Balearic Islands, with a chance of some light showers. Rough seas along the entire coast.
New changes coming in the next few days
Calm and sunshine will prevail on Thursday, with little risk of showers. It will be the most pleasant and enjoyable day of the week, as further changes are on the horizon. With a high degree of uncertainty, the weather will become more unsettled between Friday and the weekend, and precipitation may reappear in many areas. However, not all weather maps agree on the extent of the rain.
It seems that the instability will continue into Christmas week, with a risk of further precipitation and snowfall in the Pyrenees, which will significantly drop in altitude. Temperatures will continue to fall, creating a more wintry atmosphere to kick off the new season, which officially begins on Sunday morning.
Rainfall Summary
The rains returned with force on Tuesday in several areas. Unlike Monday, the precipitation was not widespread, but rather particularly affected the coast and pre-coastal areas of Barcelona and Tarragona. The heaviest rainfall was in the Barcelona area and along the Ebro River, where accumulations exceeded 30 to 50 liters per square meter in some places. The most notable was the persistent downpour in the afternoon and evening in the northern part of the Barcelonès region, with Badalona as the epicenter, where accumulations exceeded 100 to 120 liters per square meter. There were even storms that produced some hail. During the early hours of Wednesday, an additional 5 to 15 liters per square meter fell along the Ebro River, as well as up to 6 liters per square meter in the Tallada d'Empordà (Baix Empordà). These are the most notable rainfall records for Tuesday:
- 122 l/m²: Badalona (Llefià)
- 111 l/m²: Badalona (Progreso)
- 89 l/m²: Badalona (center)
- 65 l/m²: Barcelona (Horta)
- 63 l/m²: Amposta
- 56 l/m²: Miami Beach
- 56 l/m²: Barcelona (Raval)
- 52 l/m²: Barcelona (Sants-Montjuïc)
- 48 l/m²: Barcelona (Gracia)
- 46 l/m²: Els Ports
- 45 l/m²: Cerdanyola del Vallès
- 39 l/m²: Mas de Barberans
- 37 l/m²: the port of Barcelona
- 36 l/m²: the Village
- 34 l/m²: Riudecanyes
- 34 l/m²: El Prat de Llobregat
- 34 l/m²: Barcelona (University Area)
- 30 l/m²: Sabadell
These figures add to the rainfall recorded between Sunday afternoon and all of Monday, when localized amounts exceeded 100 or 200 l/m² in parts of the Ebro, Priorat, and Alt Empordà regions. Rainfall also exceeded 50 l/m² in other areas of the Ebro, the pre-coastal region, the Ponent, the northeast, and the Pyrenees peaks. These are the most significant rainfall totals recorded between Sunday and Monday:
- 219 l/m²: Falset
- 153 l/m²: Darnius-Boadella swamp
- 146 l/m²: Torroja del Priorat
- 103 l/m²: Siurana reservoir
- 103 l/m²: El Perelló