First signs of changes throughout the weekend

BarcelonaThe heat peaked this Friday with an atypical temperature spike that left values more characteristic of the height of summer than the first days of autumn, especially in the south and in Ponent. 37 ºC was reached in Aldover (Baix Ebre) and nearly 36 ºC in Vinebre (Ribera d'Ebre), and 34 ºC was exceeded in parts of the northeast, the Priorat, and the Lleida Pre-Pyrenees.

This weekend—the last of the month of September—thermometers will drop again, but they will still remain above the average for the season, with an atypically summery atmosphere in the middle of the day. Sun and calm will dominate, but there will already be the first signs of changes.

On Saturday, thin clouds will increase, and on Sunday, low coastal clouds will grow, while some afternoon showers will reappear in the Pyrenees after many days without rain. The anticyclone will gradually retreat towards Eastern Europe, and this will allow the entry of more humid and cool maritime winds. Furthermore, next week, cold air will arrive at high altitudes, which will clearly increase instability. Thermometers will continue to drop, and the second part of the week could already be significantly cooler.

Saturday: still very calm

The weekend will begin with very calm weather once again. The sun will dominate and it will be a day to take advantage of, although throughout the day more bands of high and thin clouds will pass through the entire territory. In addition, there will be an increase in low clouds in some coastal sections, especially between the Camp de Tarragona and the Ebro.

Temperatures will drop and will no longer reach the extremes of Friday in the south and in Ponent. Even so, the warm and summery atmosphere will be maintained in the middle of the day, with a marked thermal contrast between the morning cool and the daytime heat. On the coast, some local tropical minimums will still be recorded. Most maximums will move between 27 and 32 ºC, locally a little higher in the Ebro valley and in Ponent.

Sunday: first changes

The weekend will end with changes in the sky. The sun will remain veiled by the passage of high, thin clouds, but along the coast, in the pre-coastal area, and in the northeast, low clouds will increase as the moisture supply from the sea towards land intensifies. Although a local light shower cannot be ruled out, no rain is expected. The sky will be more variable and changeable in these sectors.

On the other hand, in the Pyrenees, afternoon clouds will grow more vigorously and will already leave some initial scattered showers, especially in the western sector. Temperatures will remain quite similar, with morning coolness and a warmer atmosphere than usual for the season in the middle of the day.

Trend change next week

The anticyclone will be moving away, and this will allow instability to increase throughout next week due to the passage of Atlantic front tails and the arrival of colder air at altitude. Some scattered showers will fall here and there, not much overall, while waiting for a more general rainfall perhaps on Thursday. It would be great news, as there are areas in the interior where it has not rained properly for many weeks.

The warm air mass will be slow to leave completely, and it will not be until the second half of the week that temperatures will drop more significantly. In fact, around Wednesday there could be a temporary rise in the mercury. A cool atmosphere will gradually take hold starting the following weekend, with autumn vibes and the final farewell to this eternal summer.