Catalonia has been shut down until late tonight, and a red alert is in effect tomorrow in the Valencian Community due to the "Alice" flood.

BarcelonaThe effects of dana Alice Rainfall has begun to arrive this Thursday, with the first significant rains in the south of the Valencian Community and the Pitiusas, as well as irregular showers in some parts of Catalonia that may continue into the evening, especially on the coast and pre-coast of Barcelona and Tarragona. In parts of Alicante, more than 100 l/m² has already accumulated locally (you'll find all the data at the end of this report). But pay special attention this Friday in the Valencian Country, where the storm's worst event will arrive.

Rainfall will be persistent and abundant 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, in Ibiza and Formentera. All of this will be the result of strong gusty winds, which will bring a lot of moisture to the area. Combined with cold air at altitude, this wind will generate significant and persistent rainfall. In Catalonia, this wind will be drier, with more sunshine, but stormy weather.

Friday: maximum alert in the Valencian Community

During the night, the evening, and early morning, heavy rain will continue to fall in the southern half of the Valencian Community and the Pityusic Islands. In addition, some irregular but locally intense showers will continue to fall in Catalonia until late in the evening, especially in coastal and pre-coastal areas of Barcelona and Tarragona. But all eyes will be on the Valencian Community this Friday, where the gregal storm will strengthen and rainfall will be persistent and abundant throughout the day, with the risk of downpours that could produce 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-coastal areas of Valencia and Alicante, as well as on the Murcia coast. This will likely be the wettest day in this area, with accumulations of more than 200 or 300 l/m² 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 rise suddenly.

Scattered showers will also fall in the Balearic Islands, especially starting in the afternoon in the Pitiusas, but the archipelago will be less affected by the rainfall. In Catalonia, the weather will be gregarious, blowing 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.

Only scattered showers and more cloudy spells will remain in the Ebro and nearby areas, as well as some cloud and afternoon showers in the western Pyrenees. All this with temperatures remaining little changed.

Unstable weekend

On Saturday, heavy and persistent rains will continue in the Valencian Community, particularly affecting much of the coast and pre-coast. The wind will shift slightly to the east, and the wind will rise slightly in latitude, causing precipitation to also reach 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 continued stormy weather. Between Sunday and Monday, showers could also reach the rest of the Catalan coast, a still uncertain outcome that we should monitor.

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 this Thursday between Valencia and Alicante, where some flooding and isolated incidents have been reported. Many records range from 20 to 60 l/m², but in some cases these figures have been significantly exceeded. Of note are the 123 l/m² in Relleu, the 98 in Orxeta (Marina Baixa), and the 96 in Campello (Alacantí). Rain has also been falling in the Pitiusas Islands, so far without too much damage: the town of Ibiza stands out with nearly 30 l/m².

In Catalonia, the showers have been very irregular and quite localized, affecting mainly coastal and pre-coastal areas of Barcelona and Tarragona, and the Pre-Pyrenees. Locally, there have been some light rain showers, with strong lightning. Interestingly, in the city of Barcelona, it has rained in some neighborhoods: in Sants, 46 l/m² fell, but in other areas of the Catalan capital, only four drops fell. The following records stand out for the country as a whole:

• 46 l/m²: Barcelona (Sants)
• 44 l/m²: Barcelona (Vallcarca)
• 31 l/m²: El Prat de Llobregat
• 27 l/m²: Banyeres del Penedès
• 21 l/m²: Gavà
• 18 l/m²: Nulles
• 18 l/m²: Villa-round
• 17 l/m²: Riudecanyes
• 13 l/m²: Constantine
• 10 l/m²: the Panadella
• 9 l/m²: the Bisbal del Penedès
• 7 l/m²: El Prat de Llobregat