From strong winds to rain and cold: radical weather change tomorrow

The passage of a new front will bring rain to various locations, but afterwards the wind will return to several regions.

Unverified translation

Xavi Segura

12/02/2026

4 min

The severe windstorm reached its peak on Thursday, with very strong gusts, especially along the coast and pre-coastal areas of Barcelona, in Central Catalonia, and in higher elevations. Winds exceeded 100 km/h in urban areas unaccustomed to such strong winds, with gusts not seen for many years in some places. In Montseny, gusts approached 170 km/h, while in areas of the northeast, west, and south of the country, the storm was only minimally affected (you will find a full report on the storm at the end of this article).

The wind is blowing strongly and knocking down trees in Barceloneta

The wind has subsided this afternoon, although moderate to locally strong gusts are still expected along the central and southern coast and pre-coastal areas, as well as in higher elevations, well into the night. The gale associated with the storm... Niles It will move away in the next few hours, but tomorrow we'll have a radical change in the weather, with the return of rain and cold, and subsequent northerly winds in the far reaches of the country. These will be the effects of a new storm, called OrianaThe ninth major storm since the beginning of the year. Rain and wind will affect some Carnival parades.

Last gusts of the gale

Between the afternoon and the early hours of the morning, wind will still blow along the coast and pre-coastal areas of Barcelona and Tarragona, as well as at higher elevations in the Pyrenees. This wind will clearly decrease in intensity, but some strong gusts are still possible. Meteocat maintains a yellow alert for wind until midnight in the districts of Anoia, Baix Penedès, Alt Penedès, Maresme, and Vallès Occidental and Oriental.

Forecast map for this Friday morning. ARA

Friday: rain and cold

The weather is relentless, and this Friday we'll see a very sudden change in the weather. The westerly wind will be gone for good, but the passage of a new front will make for a generally gray day with light rain falling everywhere. It will start in the morning in the south and west and spread quickly to the rest of the country. Therefore, the rain will be a major disruption to the Carnival parades planned at many schools across the country. Some breaks in the clouds will appear in the afternoon in the Pla de Lleida and in the south.

Forecast map for this Friday afternoon. ARA

All of this will be accompanied by a sharp drop in temperatures, bringing back winter weather after days of pre-spring-like values. Many highs will only reach between 10 and 15 °C, significantly lower in mountainous areas. The snow level will plummet, and during the morning it may snow in the Pyrenees at around 1,000 or 800 m, rising to 1,400 m in the afternoon.

But the respite from the wind will be short-lived, as from the afternoon and evening onwards the mistral and tramontana winds will arrive with force in the southern half of the country, in the Empordà, in the Ponent region, and on the Pyrenean peaks, where blizzard conditions are expected. The wind will also strengthen in the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands. New alerts have been issued for strong winds until Saturday night, as well as for snow on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees, which could accumulate to more than 20 cm above 1,100 m.

Weekend with wind, sun and snow in the Pyrenees

Sunshine will prevail in most regions this weekend. However, the exception will be the northern slopes of the Pyrenees, where precipitation will fall as snow at much lower elevations. The snow level will drop from 1,000 to 600 meters on Saturday, but will rise again to 1,600 or 1,800 meters on Sunday. Snowfall will be intermittent on the southern slopes. Also, be aware of the strong mistral and tramontana winds expected on Saturday throughout the Empordà region, in the southern half of the country – especially between the Ebro River and the Camp de Tarragona – and on the Pyrenean peaks. In fact, conditions will be very adverse in the high mountains, with freezing temperatures, snow, blizzards, and strong winds. This gale will also be strongly felt in the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands.

On Sunday, the wind will ease considerably in the extremes, and we expect next week to be calmer outside the Pyrenees. Temperatures will gradually rise, and from Sunday or Monday onwards, we will see mild afternoons again. However, weekend nights will be bitterly cold.

Precipitacions previstes els pròxims dies.

Balance of the strong wind

The windstorm associated with the powerful Atlantic storm Niles The storm reached its peak today. After last night's front of showers passed, the wind picked up again in the early hours of the morning, blowing strongly in many areas until midday. During the morning, gusts exceeded 100 km/h in several locations, especially along the coast and pre-coastal areas of Barcelona and in higher elevations, while in the western part of the province, in areas of Girona and Tarragona, the wind was much more moderate or weak. Areas accustomed to strong winds, such as much of the Costa Brava and the Terres de l'Ebre, remained unaffected by the storm. In the higher elevations of the central pre-coastal area and the Pyrenees, many wind speeds exceeded 120 or 130 km/h.

Notable gusts reached at Puig Sesolles (at an altitude of 1,668 m in Montseny) are the second strongest recorded at this location. A gust of 105 km/h was also recorded at the Port of Barcelona, the strongest since the storm. Glory Six years ago, a record wind speed was set at this station. The Raval neighborhood of Barcelona hasn't experienced such strong winds since at least 2009, with a gust of 87 km/h today. These are the most notable wind gusts of a storm that has been extraordinary in its intensity and extent, unlike anything seen in years, but which hasn't affected the entire country equally: