Severe storm warning and increasingly less heat this weekend

BarcelonaThis Friday was once again a warm and muggy day, with temperatures even temporarily rising further in the northeast. However, afternoon showers and thunderstorms continued in places, especially in the center and north of the country, bringing new downpours (you'll find all the heat and rain data at the end of this report). In fact, traces of showers will remain until early evening, especially between Central Catalonia and the Barcelona pre-coast, but they will eventually disappear before midnight. The weekend begins, marked by increased instability. Rain may fall in many more places on Saturday afternoon, and thunderstorms will recur in several areas on Sunday. Still, these nights will make for a sleepless night, but from Sunday onward and into the beginning of next week, temperatures will generally drop, and we'll breathe much more easily. A refreshment that will leave behind the sweltering heat that has been with us for so many days.

Saturday: more storms

The night will once again be heavy and sleepless near the coast, with muggy conditions and tropical lows, as well as some scorching temperatures—over 25°C. Temperatures will also likely not drop below 20°C in some inland areas, especially in the Ebro and Ponent regions. Meteocat maintains its nighttime heat alert for several regions, especially along the coast, where minimum temperatures may even rise slightly.

Maximum temperatures will drop throughout the interior and in the Pyrenees, locally markedly. Therefore, we will no longer have extreme heat anywhere, although the atmosphere will remain warm, with many highs of 31°C to 36°C. In addition, rain will gain ground in the afternoon, helping to prevent the mercury from skyrocketing. Little change yet on the coast, with a heavy and muggy atmosphere.

All this with plenty of sunshine and calm in the morning, with some scattered showers not being ruled out in the Pyrenees and the West. From midday onwards and throughout the afternoon and early evening, showers and thunderstorms will clearly gain ground and may fall in many places irregularly. They will affect any point inland, the pre-coastal area, the Pyrenees, and the Pre-Pyrenees. They may be accompanied by downpours, hail, hail, and strong gales. Showers are not ruled out as they may reach some coastal areas, especially along the Costa Brava and the Barcelona coastline. Meteocat has issued warnings for many regions due to heavy rain throughout the weekend.

Sunday: instability and moderate heat

The passage of a front will also make the weather more unstable on Sunday. Already in the morning, there will be more changeable skies and a risk of scattered showers in the northeast and the Pyrenees. However, showers and thunderstorms could appear from midday onwards and into the afternoon, especially in the Pyrenees, the Pre-Pyrenees, the Girona region, and the north of Barcelona. It is unclear whether the showers will also reach more coastal and pre-coastal areas, as the weather maps do not agree on this. Calmer and sunnier the further south and west you go.

Rain will help cool the atmosphere. In fact, temperatures will drop even further in the northern half of the country. More moderate heat and a less heavy atmosphere are already on the coast. Many highs of 28°C to 33°C, lower in mountainous areas and slightly higher in the West and southern inland.

At least two or three days of heat at bay

The drop in temperatures will consolidate early next week. We expect a moderately warm Monday and Tuesday, with many highs of 26°C to 31°C, slightly higher in the south and west. Nights will be more comfortable, with lows above 20°C only near the sea, where the muggy weather will also diminish.

There will be some remaining showers, but the most notable will be concentrated between the Balearic Islands and the Valencian Community. Starting Wednesday, temperatures will rise again and the heat will become more intense. There is no new heat wave in sight, but we will once again have above-average values.

Friday's storms and heat report

The heavy storms this Friday afternoon affected parts of the Pyrenees, the Pre-Pyrenees, and Central Catalonia. In the afternoon, they also approached nearby areas, such as the Barcelona pre-coastline. The storms were very uneven, but there were real downpours in some cases, leaving significant amounts of water in a short period of time. Of note were the 53 l/m² in Guixers-Valls and the 31 in Navès (Solsonès), the 43 in the Sau reservoir (Osona), and the 32 in Molló (Ripollès).

Temperatures have temporarily risen sharply in the northeast and inland south of the country, with some highs exceeding 38°C. Very intense heat overall and markedly muggy near the sea, although, as was the case on Thursday, temperatures have not reached 40°C anywhere else. These are the highest highs this Friday:

• 38.9: Torroja del Priorat
• 38.5 ºC: Darnius - Boadella Swamp
• 38.5 ºC: Aldover
• 38.4 ºC: Vinebre
• 38.3 ºC: Cabanes
• 38.2 ºC: Espolla
• 38.1 ºC: Banyoles
• 38.0 ºC: Segre Towers
• 37.8 ºC: Vilanova de Segrià
• 37.6 ºC: Fornells de la Selva