End of the historic heat, waiting for thunderstorms and a general cooling down

BarcelonaThe nightmare of this atypical and historic heat is numbered. This Monday we will no longer reach 40 °C in the Ponent area, although it will still be very hot. The drop in the thermometer will be slight, around 3 or 4 degrees in some places, enough so that no more records are set. However, it will still be hot, with highs around 38 or 39 °C in Ponent and in the interior of the Ebro. From this Sunday it is worth highlighting new exceptional values, not at all common in the month of September, such as 42.5 °C in Vinebre and 42.3 °C in Torroja del Priorat.

Monday: thin clouds and less extreme heat

Last day of exceptional and runaway heat. A calm day with some low clouds on the southern coast in the morning that will accentuate the feeling of mugginess. This cloudiness will dissipate quickly and give way to a radiant day. In the rest of the territory there will be the passage ofthin clouds, with intense heat but not as extreme as Sunday's. Despite everything, it will still be possible to reach 38 or 39 °C in Ponent and the interior of the Ebro. On the coast, it will still be possible to reach 33 to 35 ºC. There will be haze and suspended dust, with visibility somewhat reduced.

Waiting for thunderstorms and a noticeable cool down

Starting Tuesday, thermometers will begin to normalize a bit in the northern third and some first thunderstorms could appear in the Lleida Pyrenees. On the other hand, in the rest of the country it will continue to be hot, with values close to 33 °C on the coast and 37 °C inland. The change will arrive on Wednesday, as models indicate the arrival of a cold air trough at high altitude and strong thunderstorms in many places. With the arrival of the colder mass, the environment will normalize and cool down, especially inland and in the Pyrenees.

The nights will also be cooler on the coast. Wednesday and during the early hours of Thursday, therefore, will be when there is the most instability, with downpours and strong storms in the northeast (with hailstorms), especially in the interior of the Girona regions, Central Catalonia, and also on the central coast. Showers are expected that can accumulate 20 or 30 mm in half an hour and can total more than 50 mm in two hours. Pay attention to flood-prone areas or streams for possible flash floods, especially on the north and central coast or pre-coastal areas. Hailstorms and heavy hail may discharge with intensity in Central Catalonia and in the northeast of the country. In this regard, the Meteorological Service of Catalonia has already issued warnings for rainfall intensity that affect a good part of the country, especially in the eastern and northern half.