End of the historic heat, awaiting 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 Ponent, although it will still be very hot. The drop in the thermometer will be slight, in the order of 3 or 4 degrees, enough so that no more records are registered. However, it will still be hot, with maximums around 38 °C in Ponent and in the interior of the Ebro.

And from this Sunday, new exceptional values must be highlighted, not at all common in a month of September. One more day, 42.5 °C has been reached in Vinebre and 42.3 °C in Torroja del Priorat. The mercury has once again exceeded 40 °C in regions such as Priorat, Ribera d'Ebre, Baix Ebre, Noguera, Pallars Jussà and Baix Penedès (at the end of this information we add a list with the most notable values).

Monday with thin clouds, with less extreme heat

Last day of exceptional and runaway heat. A calm day with low clouds along 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 that will become thicker during the afternoon in the West. This cloudiness will slightly dampen solar radiation in some inland regions and thermometers may be a bit more restrained. It will be intensely hot but not as extreme as Sunday's. Despite everything, it will still be possible to brush against 38 °C in the West and the interior of the Ebro. The drop will be slight, on the order of 2 or 3 degrees, therefore, 40 ºC will no longer be reached in the West. On the other hand, on the coast, they can still brush against 33 ºC. There will be haze and suspended dust, with visibility slightly reduced.

Waiting for thunderstorms and a noticeable cooling down

Starting on Tuesday, thermometers will begin to normalize a bit in the northern third, and some of the first thunderstorms could appear in the Lleida Pyrenees. On the other hand, it will continue to be hot in the rest of the country, 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 areas. With the arrival of the colder air mass, the environment will normalize and cool down, especially inland and in the Pyrenees.

The nights will be cooler on the coast as well. Wednesday and during the early hours of Thursday, therefore, will be when there will be more 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 coast. Showers are expected that can accumulate 30 or 40 mm in half an hour and can total 70 or 80 mm in two hours. Pay attention to flood-prone areas or streams for possible flash floods, especially on the north, central, and south coast or pre-coastal areas. Hailstorms and heavy hail could fall with intensity in Central Catalonia and in the northeast of the country.

Maximum temperatures for Sunday:

• Vinebre: 42.5 ºC
• Torroja del Priorat: 42.3 ºC
• Riba-roja Reservoir: 40.8 ºC
• el Masroig: 40.6 ºC
• Ascó: 40.5 ºC
• Cardona: 40.4 ºC
• El Montmell: 40.2 ºC
• Tremp: 40 ºC
• l'Espluga de Francolí: 39.2 ºC