The Inuncat plan alert has been activated for strong storms anywhere until Saturday.

BarcelonaCivil Protection has activated the Inuncat plan alert due to the strong storms expected starting today and continuing into Saturday. A pocket of cold air will cross us at altitude, colliding directly with the summer heat we have at the surface and the humidity of the Mediterranean, causing a sharp increase in instability. This Thursday afternoon there will be showers and thunderstorms, especially on the southern face of the Pyrenees, in the Pre-Pyrenees, and in nearby areas, such as the north of Central Catalonia and the northern half of Ponent. Scattered, minor showers may occur on Friday morning, but from the afternoon and into the evening, showers and thunderstorms could fall irregularly in practically any region, moving from north to south.

Saturday will be the most complicated day. According to the current maps, it will be marked by the most significant wave of showers and thunderstorms and will affect all areas throughout the day. The most affected area would be the Ebro and surrounding areas. Storms could be strong and accompanied by violent meteorological phenomena, such as downpours, hail, and strong winds. More than 20 or 30 l/m² can accumulate in just half an hour. Meteocat has also activated alerts for much of the country due to heavy rain between Thursday and Saturday, while the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) has issued a special warning for the passage of this DANA, which will primarily affect the northern half of the peninsula, with heavy showers in this area.

Thursday: a bit of everything

The weather will continue to change, with a bit of everything this Thursday. We woke up to quite a few cloudy spells, especially in the center and south of the country. The cloudy skies are only expected, especially in the Lleida region. Showers will also fall in the Balearic Islands, mainly between Mallorca and Menorca.

However, in the afternoon, clouds will gather in mountainous areas, leaving the sky changeable or partly cloudy across the country. This is when irregular and locally heavy showers and thunderstorms will occur on the southern face of the Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees, as well as in nearby areas, such as northern Central Catalonia and the northern half of Ponent. Meteocat has issued a warning for heavy rain in many regions between Thursday and Saturday. Showers are not ruled out in Els Ports, and scattered showers on the coast and pre-coast of Barcelona and Tarragona.

The night will once again be generally good for sleeping, with a cool to mild atmosphere, but minimum temperatures will rise inland, especially in Ponent and the south, where, along with the coast, tropical lows above 20°C could be recorded. Maximum temperatures will also rise further, primarily in the Lleida and Tarragona regions. However, the heat will remain moderate and breathable, with many temperatures between 26°C and 32°C and marked muggy conditions along the coast. Temperatures will be somewhat higher in the West Bank and inland south.

Possible storm surge this weekend

Between Friday and the weekend, the maps indicate an approaching pocket of cold air that will further increase instability. By Friday afternoon, rain will already fall in many parts of the central and northern half of the country, locally heavy, and thunderstorms will reach all areas until the evening. The most widespread round of showers and severe thunderstorms could arrive on Saturday. A situation we will have to monitor, but it will soak the ground in midsummer. Temperatures will rise slightly further, but not to the extreme.

Balance of Wednesday's showers

A wave of storms hit early this morning, affecting much of the Tarragona region and the southern tip of Ponent. A night of lightning and thunder with some local downpours. Of note were the nearly 40 l/m² rainfall in Horta de Sant Joan (Terra Alta), the 20 l/m² in Buda Island (Montsià), and the 13 l/m² in Els Ports (Baix Ebre). This rain also reached the Baix Ebre fire area, which is great news even though firefighting efforts are still underway.

In addition, there was abundant cloud cover throughout yesterday in the center and especially in the south of the country, where a few showers fell. The most notable occurred in the morning and late in the day along the Ebro coast and Camp de Tarragona. Of note were the 29 l/m² recorded in Vinyols and Els Arcs (Baix Camp), the 27 in the city of Tarragona, the 19 in Torredembarra (Tarragonès), and the 14 in the Alfacs.