Strong wind alert today: gusts could exceed 70 km/h

BarcelonaBe careful today with the strong westerly wind that will affect much of the country. There are numerous alerts activated for intense wind gusts throughout the country that could exceed 70 km/h. In fact, in recent hours, speeds of 120 km/h have already been exceeded in the high elevations of Montseny and Portbou (Alt Empordà). The most affected areas will be between the coast and pre-coast of Barcelona and northern Tarragona, as well as Central Catalonia and the Central Plateau. Therefore, remove anything that could be blown off balconies, windows, and facades. The culprit will be an Atlantic front associated with the powerful storm. Benjamin, affecting half of Europe. Temperatures will begin to drop, especially inland and in the Pyrenees, with minimums recorded in the late hours. Therefore, the end of the Indian summer is already in sight, with temperatures reaching a peak of 30°C yesterday in the Ebro, specifically in Vinebre (Ribera d'Ebre). The cooling off will be widespread and significant during the final stretch of the week, with clearly more unsettled weather between Saturday and Sunday.

Thursday: strong winds

The passage of an Atlantic front descending from a very active low pressure system located in the British Isles will bring strong westerly winds to our country today. The strongest gusts are expected in the center and south of the country, as well as in higher elevations. The most affected areas will be especially the Barcelona coast and pre-coastline and parts of Central Catalonia, where an orange warning is in effect. This will also affect Camp de Tarragona, Ponent, and high altitudes throughout the country, such as the peaks of the Pyrenees, Montseny, and the northern Alt Empordà. The gusts will peak between morning and mid-afternoon, and will decrease in the evening. Strong winds will also blow in the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands.

Gusts exceeding 70 km/h (43 mph) are possible in many regions, and the storm will also affect areas unaccustomed to strong winds, such as the Barcelona area. At high altitudes, winds may locally exceed 90 or 100 km/h (55 or 62 mph). Meteocat has issued warnings for strong gusts in much of the country, as well as for rough seas along the coast, and Aemet has also issued warnings in the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands. Civil Protection has implemented the Ventcat plan alert.

All of this will be accompanied by a changing sky due to the passage of cloud bands that will combine with the sun. The storm clouds will be more prevalent in the Pyrenees and nearby areas, where some showers will arrive. They will fall especially during the morning, particularly in the Alt Pirineu and on the northern face, as these will be the areas where the Atlantic front will be most active. Some light, fleeting showers may also occur in the morning in other regions, especially in Ponent and the northern Empordà.

Contrary to what the maps indicated a few days ago, temperatures will finally begin to drop this Thursday, especially inland and in the Pyrenees, with lows set to hit later in the day. However, temperatures will remain similar along the Catalan coast and peak in the Valencian Community and between the Maresme and Baix Empordà regions.

Cool and possible rain

The drop in temperatures will be significant and widespread between Friday and the weekend. A clear refreshment that will leave the Indian summer behind and make the atmosphere suddenly fully autumnal. Even next week we could see values clearly below average, and between the weekend and Monday, snow could reappear in the high Pyrenees.

All of this will be the result of the arrival of a clearly colder air mass, which will also be accompanied by increased instability. Various weather models indicate that rain will gain ground over the weekend and could fall anywhere, especially on Sunday. A still uncertain situation that we will have to continue to determine.