First hailstorms in an afternoon of intense storms

BarcelonaThe Atlantic disturbance located off the coasts of Portugal and Galicia will send a front that will generate unstable weather in our territory this Monday. While the first part of the morning has been stable, from midday the panorama has changed radically and storms have gained ground, affecting a large part of the west and north half by mid-afternoon. Showers of moderate to strong intensity are expected and the possibility of hail or hailstorms in many places, especially in the northern half and the northwest quadrant (you will find a provisional summary of the storms at the end of this article).

Monday: locally intense storms

The morning started calm and with many clear spells, especially in the eastern half, where the sky remained quite serene. Early on, clouds appeared in the west and by mid-morning the first showers had fallen. During the day, it will be moderately hot and the thermometer could be below normal in the west, where it will not exceed 29 ºC.

As the day progressed, thunderstorms began to appear in the western half, but as the hours passed they will end up affecting practically any inland region, especially in the northwest, in the west, and in the Pyrenees. Locally they will also reach the coast, but less intensely. Furthermore, it is not ruled out that local downpours may occur, leaving significant water accumulations in a short time, with hail and strong gusts of wind.

In this regard, the Meteorological Service of Catalonia maintains active warnings for accumulations of more than 20 l/m² per hour in a large part of the country, at level 4 out of 6 (orange) in the regions of Lleida and in parts of the Pyrenees and the center of the country. In addition, it warns that these showers may be accompanied by large hail, more than five centimeters. There is also an active warning for accumulations of more than 60 l/m² in three hours in Pallars Jussà, Alt Urgell, Noguera, Solsonès, Segarra, Urgell, Pla d'Urgell, Garrigues and Segrià.

Tuesday: the weather stabilizes

During the first part of the early morning, remnants of Tuesday evening's showers could still remain in some coastal areas, but they will quickly leave the country, leaving much more stable weather. A fully summery day, with temperatures rising notably in some cases and with a generally clear sky, with no more afternoon showers anywhere.

Balance of Monday's storms

The downpours that have been falling since midday have affected a large part of the country's interior, especially the northern and western half, and in many cases have been accompanied by hail of significant size. This is the case in Móra d'Ebre, Llívia, or Puigcerdà, among others. By mid-afternoon, more than 40 l/m² had already accumulated in Vielha, 30 in Tremp, and 29 in El Masroig.