Umbrella Monday: a rainy day in much of the country

BarcelonaAfter a few weeks of stability and calm weather, the movement of the centers of action in the continental area, with the storm Emilia Between the Canary Islands and the African coast, and the anticyclone in Central Europe, atmospheric instability has taken center stage in the weather along the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula. A flow of moisture-laden maritime winds brought the first downpours to the Valencian Community yesterday. Locally, rainfall is approaching 100 liters per square meter between the Priorat and Ebro regions (you will find some of the most significant precipitation data so far at the end of this report). Rain will affect much of the country today, with umbrellas expected and some locally heavy showers. Snow is expected on the southern slopes of the Pyrenees above approximately 1,800 meters.

Monday: Rain anywhere

The week begins with unsettled weather and plenty of umbrellas in Catalonia. The bulk of the precipitation has shifted from the Valencian Community towards southern Catalonia, and the heaviest rain today will be in the two extremes of the region, where rainfall could exceed 50 or 100 liters per square meter. Rain is also expected in the rest of the region, although lighter and more intermittent, with accumulations in many areas ranging between 5 and 20 liters per square meter. In exposed, elevated areas, such as the southern slopes of the Pyrenees, the Pre-Pyrenees, and the coastal mountains, rainfall totals could be higher. Rain will continue throughout the day, although in many cases it will be intermittent. Following the overnight downpour, another shower is expected this morning, starting along the Ebro River and sweeping north across the region, particularly affecting the Girona area. The afternoon will be calmer along the coast, although scattered showers will persist in the northern half of the country, and cannot be ruled out in other areas. Snow will return to the Pyrenees, especially on the southern slopes and in the eastern third, with the snow level around 1,800 meters. Temperatures will remain generally stable.

In this regard, the Meteorological Service of Catalonia has issued a yellow alert for heavy rain affecting districts at both ends of the country and some areas of Lleida, where accumulations of more than 20 liters per square meter are expected in just half an hour. AEMET (the Spanish State Meteorological Agency) also maintains a red alert for the Valencian coast, an orange alert for the rest of Valencia and Castellón, and a yellow alert for the rest of the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula, from Murcia to the Empordà region.

More rain Tuesday

Weather models are still quite uncertain regarding the distribution and intensity of Tuesday's rainfall, but it seems clear that unsettled weather will persist, especially in the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands, but also along the Catalan coast. Rain will be more concentrated along the coast and in the easternmost parts of Catalonia, particularly in the Terres de l'Ebre region, with considerable cloud cover throughout the day and temperatures remaining fairly stable, with a mild midday and mild temperatures in the early morning. Overall, we're talking about accumulations that in the Valencian Community could exceed 200 or 250 liters per square meter in some areas during this period.

Summary of the rain episode

The rainfall that began Sunday night and intensified, especially overnight, has already brought significant amounts to Catalonia. Rainfall has exceeded 80 or 90 l/m² in the Terres de l'Ebre and Priorat regions, while in the northern part of Vallès Occidental, it has reached or surpassed 30 l/m². Rainfall has also exceeded 20 l/m² in the Ponent region and in parts of the northeast, with generally very irregular amounts. These are the most significant totals so far, with no reported incidents:

• 94 l/m²: El Perelló
• 82 l/m²: L'Ametlla de Mar
• 89 l/m²: Falset
• 65 l/m²: Tivissa
• 53 l/m²: Torroja del Priorat
• 46 l/m²: San Lorenzo Savall
• 38 l/m²: Sabadell
• 35 l/m²: Granollers
• 33 l/m²: Terrace
• 33 l/m²: Darnius-Boadella Swamp

Rainfall has affected much of the Valencian Community, Murcia, and Almería since early this morning, with some very heavy accumulations already recorded, such as 147 l/m² in Font d'en Carròs (La Safor), 140 l/m² in Alhama de Murcia, and 101 l/m² in Almía de Burriana, in the Plana Baixa region. In some areas, the rain has been accompanied by thunderstorms and hail, causing some minor incidents. In Catalonia, where it has been raining in some places since mid-afternoon on Sunday, the most significant rainfall totals are 20 l/m² in Els Ports Natural Park, in the Baix Ebre region, 17 l/m² in Granollers, and 7 l/m² in Barcelona and Mataró.