Keep a close eye on the Valencian Community today: red alert for the main event of the Dana 'Alice'

BarcelonaThe effects of dana Alice Rainfall was already noticeable yesterday with the first significant rains in the south of the Valencian Community and the Pitiusas, as well as with irregular but locally heavy showers in some parts of Catalonia that have continued into tonight, especially on the coast and pre-coast of Barcelona and Tarragona. In parts of Alicante, more than 100 l/m² have already accumulated locally (you'll find all the data at the end of this report). But pay special attention today in the Valencian Country, where the storm's worst will hit. Rainfall will be persistent and heavy for much of the day, especially in Valencia and Alicante. The Aemet (Mexico City Meteorological Agency) has raised the alert from orange to red—the maximum—for Friday on the southern coast of Alicante and in the southeast of Murcia and has issued yellow and orange warnings in many other regions.

All of this will be the result of strong gusty winds, which will bring a lot of humidity to the area. Combined with cold air at altitude, this will generate significant and persistent rainfall. In Catalonia, the weather will be calmer today, but with stormy sea conditions. The exception will be in Terres de l'Ebre, where there will be some showers. Pay attention throughout the weekend in this area, as heavy rains will also arrive. Meteocat has already issued alerts for downpours that could leave more than 40 l/m² in just half an hour, as well as accumulations of more than 100 l/m².

Friday: maximum alert in the Valencian Community

All eyes will be on the Valencian Country this Friday, where the gregal storm will strengthen and the rains will be persistent and abundant for much of the day, with the risk of downpours that could leave more than 30 or 40 l/m² in just half an hour. The Aemet (Mexico City Meteorological Agency) warns that more than 140 l/m² could accumulate in just twelve hours.

The main event is expected on the coast and pre-coastline of Valencia and Alicante, as well as on the Murcia coast. It will surely be the wettest day in this area, where more than 200 or 300 l/m² could accumulate locally throughout the entire event, especially between Valencia and Cap de la Nau. Extreme caution is advised, especially in flood-prone areas or near rivers and streams, which can swell suddenly.

Scattered showers will also fall in the Balearic Islands, especially starting in the afternoon in the Pitiusas and eastern Mallorca. Although the archipelago will be less affected by the rainfall, some light rain showers may be noted in the second half of the day. In Catalonia, the forecast will be gregarious winds, which will blow strongly along the coast, where the maritime situation will become particularly complicated. A drier wind will sweep away the showers and some of the cloud cover, and the sun will gain ground. However, there will still be significant periods of cloud and fog until mid-morning.

Only scattered showers and more cloudy periods will remain in the Ebro and nearby areas, such as Camp de Tarragona, as well as some thunderclouds and afternoon showers in the western Pyrenees. All this with minimum temperatures that have dropped slightly, and maximum temperatures that will remain similar or will be slightly higher, with many values between 20 and 25 °C.

Unstable weekend

On Saturday, heavy and persistent rains will continue in the Valencian Community, particularly affecting much of the coast and pre-coast, including Castellón. The wind will shift slightly to the east, bringing precipitation to all of the Balearic Islands and Terres de l'Ebre. Further downpours are possible, with significant accumulations.

The rest of Catalonia will remain unspoiled, with more sunshine in the north and stormy weather continuing to affect the entire coast. Scattered showers could occur in other sections of the Catalan coast between Sunday and Monday, a still uncertain outcome that we will need to confirm and monitor closely.

In any case, instability and offshore winds will remain with us for a few days, mainly thanks to the blocking of an anticyclone in northern Europe. Temperatures will remain relatively unchanged, with moderately cool temperatures at night and mild temperatures at midday.

Rainfall forecast

The flood has already caused heavy and intense rainfall since Thursday between Valencia and Alicante, where some flooding and isolated incidents have been reported. Many records range from 20 to 70 l/m², but in some cases these figures have been significantly exceeded, especially in the Alicante region. Of note were the 123 l/m² in Relleu, the 98 in Orxeta (Marina Baixa), and the 96 in El Campello (Alacantí). It also rained heavily yesterday in the Pitiusas, although without significant damage and nothing compared to the historic downpours of last week. Of particular note was the nearly 30 l/m² accumulated in the town of Ibiza.

In Catalonia, showers were very irregular and quite localized yesterday, but locally intense. They affected coastal and pre-coastal areas of Barcelona and Tarragona, as well as the Pre-Pyrenees, until late into the night. Locally, there were some light rain showers, with strong lightning. Interestingly, in the city of Barcelona, it rained in certain neighborhoods: in Sants, 46 l/m² fell and in Les Corts, more than 30—many of them in a short period of time—but in other areas of the Catalan capital, only a few drops fell. The rainiest area was in the Garraf Natural Park, with more than 72 l/m², 25 of which fell in just half an hour last night. The following figures stand out for the country as a whole:

• 72 l/m²: Garraf Natural Park
• 46 l/m²: Barcelona (Sants)
• 44 l/m²: Barcelona (Vallcarca)
• 38 l/m²: San Pedro de Ribes
• 31 l/m²: El Prat de Llobregat
• 27 l/m²: Perafita
• 27 l/m²: Banyeres del Penedès
• 25 l/m²: Mataró
• 24 l/m²: Barcelona (University Area)
• 22 l/m²: Cabrils
• 21 l/m²: Gavà
• 19 l/m²: Nulles
• 18 l/m²: Villa-round
• 18 l/m²: Riudecanyes
• 18 l/m²: Cunit
• 14 l/m²: Constantine
• 10 l/m²: the Panadella