Rain returns everywhere starting this Thursday

BarcelonaWe are on the verge of a storm from the east that will bring widespread and heavy rain starting this Thursday. The storm Regina It's bearing down on us with winds blowing from the sea towards the land, rough seas, and rainfall that, throughout the entire event, could exceed 50 or 100 l/m² along the coast and pre-coastal areas, and locally reach 200 l/m² in the northeast, northern Catalonia, and inland areas of the Ebro Valley and Castellón. The Catalan Water Agency (ACA) is releasing water from some reservoirs so they can absorb all the expected new rainfall.

Rain will continue on Friday, and unsettled weather will persist throughout the weekend. The rain will be accompanied by mud, as dust from North Africa will remain suspended in the air. Everything will be covered in mud. Heavy snowfall is expected at the highest elevations of the eastern Pyrenees.

Thursday: the rains begin

We will wake up to a gray day, and from the early hours, rain will gradually spread along the coast and both ends of the country. As the hours pass, and especially during the afternoon, the precipitation will sweep across the entire country from east to west, moving inland from the sea. The heaviest and most intense rainfall is expected in coastal and pre-coastal areas, the Ebro Valley, and the northeast, and some isolated thunderstorms or downpours are possible. Meteocat has issued an alert for several districts in these areas due to accumulations that could exceed 100 liters per square meter in just 24 hours.

Rain will also affect much of the Valencian Community and could be heavy and intense in Castellón and parts of the Valencian Community. Rain is also expected in the Balearic Islands, though initially more moderate. The snow level will fluctuate between 2000 and 2200 meters, with significant snowfall on the southern slopes of the Pyrenees, particularly the eastern side. Cooler temperatures are expected around midday.

All of this is accompanied by easterly winds and rough seas. Meteocat has issued alerts for coastal areas due to gales that could exceed 60 or 70 km/h and waves over 2.5 m high.

More rain on the eve of the weekend

Friday will be another wet day, with rain especially along the coast and pre-coastal areas, as well as in the northeast of the country. Rainfall will be less intense towards the west, and there may even be some breaks in the clouds on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees in Lleida. Temperatures will be similar, with the snow level between 1,800 and 2,000 meters. The accumulation of new snow will exceed half a meter in eastern Ripollès, where it's possible it could reach a meter by Sunday. Elsewhere, accumulations of more than 20 or 30 centimeters are expected. The weekend will bring unsettled weather. Saturday will likely see another shower, particularly from the afternoon onwards. On Sunday, the showers will be more scattered and not widespread. It seems we've reopened the door to storms for several days.