Strong winds expected across much of the country this Thursday

BarcelonaThe Indian summer peaked this Wednesday, with temperatures rising even further, reaching 30°C locally in towns along the Ebro, such as Vinebre (Ribera d'Ebre). A figure that hasn't been recorded for a long time. Last night was tropical in some sections of the central and southern coast, such as the city of Barcelona itself. These temperatures were too warm and well above average for the season, and their days are now numbered, as this Thursday a strong westerly wind will blow across much of the country and begin to bring down the thermometer.

There are numerous alerts activated for strong wind gusts across the country. 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 the Pyrenees, with lows recorded in the late afternoon. The cooling off will be widespread and significant during the final stretch of the week, with noticeably more unsettled weather between Saturday and Sunday.

Thursday: strong winds

The passage of an Atlantic front, which will descend from a very active low pressure system located in the British Isles, will bring strong westerly winds to our region this Thursday. 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 the coast and pre-coastline of Barcelona and Tarragona, southern Ponent, southern Central Catalonia, 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 late afternoon, and will decrease by evening. The 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 unfamiliar with 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 and rough seas in much of the country, and Aemet has issued warnings for the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands. Civil Protection has issued a Ventcat alert plan.

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.