Morning with autumn airs, heat at bay at noon and calm returns today

BarcelonaYesterday's rains are now history. From today on, the sun and calm will return to dominate, with north winds still in the extreme areas. But pay attention when you leave the house first thing in the morning, as the air is suddenly cooler everywhere, and even cold in mountain areas. A good sweater is needed to start the day in many regions, while on the coast there have been no tropical minimums recorded anywhere for the first time in a long time. And even though the maximums will rise after Wednesday's thermal drop, the heat will be kept at bay and normal for the dates throughout the week at midday. Therefore, today we are noticing the first airs of an autumn that, now yes, is already approaching. Let's take the opportunity to open windows and cool down the houses. Summer is leaving and the historic heatwaves will not be repeated.

All this after yesterday's weather change caused downpours and storms in many regions. The most significant rain fell in the north of the country, especially in the eastern Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees, where more than 50 l/m² were widely exceeded, and in some cases, it was not far from reaching 100 l/m². Regions like La Garrotxa suffered violent phenomena, such as strong gusts of wind and hailstorms. Locally intense thunderstorms also occurred in parts of the coast and pre-coast of Barcelona and Central Catalonia, while on the island of Mallorca there were also significant downpours with many incidents (you will find the most prominent data and images of the episode at the end of this information).

Thursday: calm and heat at bay

This Thursday we wake up feeling much cooler in general. Many minimum temperatures of 8 °C to 14 °C have been recorded inland and in the pre-coastal areas, and in some cases they have been even lower. On the coast, it has also dropped below 20 °C in general. In mountain areas, it is even cold, especially in the Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees, where it has dropped below 5 °C in many cases. The minimum of 0 °C in Das, in Cerdanya, stands out. Therefore, in many regions, a good sweater or jacket is needed early in the morning. A night and morning with the first autumn breezes that will help cool down an environment that was very heated after an extraordinarily scorching summer.

In the morning, there will be some fog, especially in the inland areas of the northeast most affected by the downpours of the last few hours. A sunny Thursday is expected in general, with some decorative brushstrokes of thin clouds and few nuances. Only between the south of Valencia and Alicante, as well as in the Pityusic Islands and Mallorca, will there be some locally intense irregular downpours and thunderstorms.

Maximum temperatures will rise slightly, but will be kept in check and with a bearable heat completely normalized for the dates. Most records will move between 24 °C and 28 °C, and around 30 °C in Ponent and the Ebro valley. The mugginess will also clearly ease on the coast. The tramontane wind will persist throughout the day in the Empordà, with the strongest gusts in the early morning and morning, while the mistral wind will lose momentum throughout the day in the Ebro.

No major changes in sight

Both Friday –National Day of Catalonia and a holiday throughout the country– and the weekend will be marked by absolute calm. The sun will dominate overall with few nuances. Perhaps on Saturday low clouds will increase near the sea, but without further consequences. No new episode of downpours or rain is in sight.

Despite this stability, temperatures will suffer few changes, with small ups and downs, but always within the line of normality. Therefore, days with bearable heat during the day and cool at night await us. Now, it seems that summer is gradually retreating, and no new episodes of intense heat are foreseen in the long term.

Assessment of the heavy storms

Wednesday began with heavy storms early in the morning in parts of Garraf, Penedès, and the north of Vallès. Downpours that left quite a few liters in a short time, but which lasted briefly and did not record large accumulations of water in general, with the exception of coastal sections of Garraf. The main event moved quickly to the eastern Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees, as well as nearby areas. Regions such as Ripollès, Garrotxa, the north of Berguedà, and Lluçanès received rain for much of the day, with some cloudbursts, strong gusts of wind, and hail or hailstorms. It is in these areas where between 50 and 100 l/m² were recorded.

During the afternoon, irregular storms reactivated in other zones, such as the Barcelona area. Rain that helped to cool the environment, as thermometers plummeted compared to Tuesday. The downpours were also torrential in Mallorca, where more than 50 l/m² were easily exceeded. All of this caused some flooding and numerous incidents. These are the most notable records and images of the episode:

• 98 l/m²: Ripoll
• 94 l/m²: Alpens
• 81 l/m²: Sant Joan de les Abadesses
• 76 l/m²: Campdevànol
• 65 l/m²: La Quar
• 57 l/m²: Sant Pau de Segúries
• 56 l/m²: Sitges
• 55 l/m²: Olot
• 52 l/m²: Fabra Observatory in Barcelona
• 52 l/m²: Castellar de n’Hug
• 48 l/m²: Castellbisbal
• 45 l/m²: La Vall d’en Bas
• 37 l/m²: Molló
• 33 l/m²: Guardiola de Berguedà
• 25 l/m²: Sabadell