Four regions on high alert due to the new and strong winds this Carnival Saturday

BarcelonaThe weather continues its relentless march, and after Thursday's strong winds, a front swept through Friday, bringing a gray and rainy day to much of the country, with more snow on the southern slopes of the Pyrenees. These are the effects of the new storm. OrianaThis Saturday will bring another storm with strong winds to many regions, this time with the mistral and tramontana winds. The strongest gusts are expected in the Ebro Valley, the Camp de Tarragona, Castellón, the Empordà, and the Pyrenees peaks, where blizzard conditions are possible. The wind will be felt across much of the country, including the Barcelona area, although not nearly as intensely as Thursday's storm in this region. This wind will affect Carnival parades in several municipalities, while on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees, the main news will be snowfall. Civil Protection has activated its Ventcat plan and sent alerts to mobile phones in the Terres de l'Ebre and Baix Camp regions, and Meteocat has issued strong wind warnings for many areas, with red alerts in the far south and north. Aemet has even activated a red alert in Castellón, where hurricane-force winds of over 140 km/h are possible.

All after this Friday it rained between weak and moderate in much of the country. Where the most water fell is on the coast and pre-coast of Barcelona, ​​Campo de Tarragona, Priorat, Ponent, Central Catalonia, Pre-Pyrenees and the south face of the Pyrenees. In these areas, 10 or 20 l/m2 were exceeded in many cases. The 30 l/m² of Ulldemolins (Priorat), the 26 l/m² of Vilanova de Meià and Os de Balaguer (Noguera) and the 24 of La Panadella (Anoia) and Prades (Baix Camp) stand out.

Saturday: strong wind and snow in the Pyrenees

The weekend will begin with another gale. Since Friday night, the mistral and tramontana winds have been gaining strength in the far reaches of the country, and on Saturday they will affect many regions. The strongest gusts are expected in the Terres de l'Ebre, the Camp de Tarragona, Castellón, the Costa Brava, and the Pyrenees peaks. In these areas, winds will exceed 100 km/h and very locally reach 120 km/h, with rough seas along the coast and very adverse conditions in the high mountains, where there will be strong winds, blizzards, snow, and freezing temperatures. Therefore, the strongest winds are expected in areas more accustomed to these events, unlike what happened on Thursday. However, the gusts will be violent and could cause damage. The Ebre and Castellón regions will bear the brunt of the storm.

But the wind will blow in many other regions, especially in the Ponent, the central and southern parts of the Barcelona area, and southern Central Catalonia. However, the strong gusts of wind expected on Thursday are nowhere near those anticipated along the Barcelona coast and pre-coastal areas. Therefore, the Carnival parades planned in many municipalities may be affected by the wind, particularly in the areas most impacted by the storm. Temperatures will rise overall, but will drop in the Pyrenees.

All of this will be accompanied by sunshine in most regions. The exception will be the northern slopes of the Pyrenees and the northernmost reaches of the rest of the mountain range, where snowfall is expected, gradually descending from the initial 1,000 meters to 600 meters. In the Vall d'Aran and surrounding areas, snow depths of more than 20 cm could accumulate throughout the event above 1,300 m, as warned by Meteocat.

Sunday: more calm

The weather will be calmer and more enjoyable on Sunday. We can expect a final day of the weekend with significantly less wind, although it won't disappear completely from the far reaches of the country. There will be a fair amount of sunshine, combined with some traces of high, thin clouds. Only remnants of cloud cover and a few light showers will remain on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees, where temperatures and the snow level will rise. The snow level will be between 1,600 and 1,800 meters. In contrast, in the rest of the country, temperatures will remain similar, or even drop slightly. Minimum temperatures will reach their lowest point, and the early morning will be colder and more wintry, with frost in the Pyrenees, the Pre-Pyrenees, nearby areas, and other mountain regions. You'll need to dress warmly if you leave home early. Next week will be calmer.

A new front will move through on Monday, bringing more wind and snow to the Pyrenees. But overall, next week will be calmer due to the approach of a high-pressure system. Sunshine and calm weather will prevail, although some fronts will brush past the Pyrenees. Temperatures will rise slightly, and middays will be milder.