Weekend with better weather, but we will still have some showers

BarcelonaThis week feels like May, as every day brings a bolt of lightning. Unsafe weather has brought new downpours and some local, very intense storms in the last few hours, but they have been very erratic and by no means have fallen everywhere. Of note, for example, were some local downpours yesterday, mainly affecting the pre-coastal area and Baix Llobregat, leaving between 20 and 30 l/m² in a short period of time, with some incidents (you'll find all the data and images at the end of this report). Meteocat maintains the alert for heavy rain in several regions this afternoon, and the Inuncat plan is still activated in the alert phase.

The variability will continue this weekend, although the risk of rain will decrease. Only a few scattered, localized showers will remain in some coastal and pre-coastal areas. A few, but calm will not fully settle in, and a worn-out Atlantic front will cross us between Sunday night and Monday. The weather will be changeable, with temperatures similar to those of this Friday, as we await a brief summer next week.

Saturday: Risk of some very localized showers

The weekend will once again start with a changeable sky. We expect a day with intervals of clouds combined with periods of sunshine. Sunnier conditions will be expected in the Lleida and Pyrenees regions, especially in the morning, with morning fog on plains and inland valleys.

Very little precipitation is expected, but there will still be traces of some very localized showers. Early in the morning, some showers can be found on the coast, although they are moving offshore and are unlikely to reach the ground. Again, from midday and throughout the afternoon, some very scattered showers will occur in parts of the pre-coastal area, the northeast interior, the interior of the Valencian Community, and around Cap de la Nau. Some could reach the coast, especially in Barcelona and Tarragona. Initially, there is little precipitation, but local light rain cannot be ruled out. Scattered showers are also possible in Mallorca, the Pitiusas, inland Valencia, and on the Castellón coast.

All this with temperatures expected to remain similar to those of this Friday or slightly higher. Moderately cool at night and in the early morning, with many highs of 19 to 24°C.

Sunday: at the gates of a worn-out front

Sunday will repeat a similar pattern to today, but with some nuances. Some showers may locally affect sections of the coast, especially the central coast. Unlike recent days, rain is unlikely to occur in the afternoon, but cloud cover will increase from west to east throughout the day due to the approach of a weakened Atlantic front. In fact, the first showers may reach the Pyrenees and the Lleida Pre-Pyrenees in the late afternoon. In short, a fairly calm and enjoyable day, with changeable skies and many fogs or low clouds in the morning.

Temperatures will rise in northeast Catalonia due to the warming southerly winds, and on the coast and pre-coast of Valencia, but will drop slightly in the Pyrenees and the Lleida Pre-Pyrenees. In the rest of the regions, temperatures will remain similar to those of Saturday. Many highs of 19 to 24°C are expected, but they will be somewhat higher in the Alt Empordà and in the traditionally warmer areas of the south of the country.

Small change of weather to start the week

The tail end of the Atlantic front will finally cross our path on Monday, bringing variability and the risk of some scattered, weak showers, especially in the northern and western half. There will be little precipitation overall, but with slightly more precipitation in the Pyrenees and the Lleida Pre-Pyrenees. The anticyclone will completely leave the British Isles, and low pressure areas will once again circulate across central Europe. A more Atlantic-like pattern will bring little rain to our country, but we will expect changeable skies and a clear rise in temperatures. Next week, we'll have a mild summer with warm middays, but it looks like it won't last long, as temperatures are expected to return to normal by the end of the week.

Balance of showers and storms

We've been keeping an eye on the sky for another day, and this Friday saw very irregular showers in coastal, pre-coastal, and nearby areas, such as Central Catalonia and the northeastern interior. In some cases, more than 20 or 30 l/m² fell in a short period of time, but these were localized, and just a few kilometers away, practically no rain fell. The rainiest areas were mainly in the pre-coastal and Central Catalonia. In Castelldefels, between 33 and 57 l/m² fell, in Gavà 32, and in Castellar del Vallès 31. In the latter municipality, the downpours were very constant, and some unofficial records even reported more than 60 or 70 l/m². Also notable were the 28 l/m² in Sant Climent de Llobregat, 28 in Caldes de Montbui, 26 in Cornudella de Montsant, 23 in Piera, and 16 in Parets del Vallès. This massive downpour in a short period of time has caused several local incidents. The most notable occurred in Sabadell (Vallès Occidental), where a vehicle with no one inside was swept away by the suddenly rising Ripoll River.