Weather change just before the weekend: showers return to some areas

BarcelonaThe weather will change this Friday, just before the weekend. The passage of a cold front associated with the deep Atlantic storm 'Claudia' will increase cloud cover everywhere and bring showers back to several areas, especially in the afternoon. The front will arrive somewhat weakened, after having brought significant rainfall to the western part of the Iberian Peninsula on Thursday. All of this will be accompanied by strong southerly winds in higher elevations. Today, wind speeds have already exceeded 70 and 80 km/h in the high Pyrenees, with a notable 107 km/h recorded at Lac Redon (2,247 m in the Vall d'Aran). Dust will also remain in the air, making any rain muddy. Temperatures will begin to drop inland and in the Pyrenees, after the peak of this brief spell of Indian summer, with unseasonably warm conditions and highs of 23-24°C in the western and southern interior. The weekend will bring overcast skies, and temperatures will not rise as much.

Friday: a front is arriving

The passage of the front will bring widespread cloud cover from early morning, along with high humidity, fog, and haze. The heaviest skies will be found towards the west and the Pyrenees. In fact, rain is already falling in the Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees of Lleida, especially on the southern slopes, where it could be locally continuous and heavy. From midday onwards, showers may spread to more areas. They will generally be light and scattered, and will not occur everywhere. The most likely showers are expected in the Lleida and Barcelona regions, the northeast interior, and the Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees. Some scattered and light showers are also expected in the south and interior of the Valencian Community and in the Balearic Islands.

All of this will be accompanied by strong southerly winds in higher elevations, especially in the Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees, where Meteocat has issued some weather alerts. Temperatures will begin to drop inland and in the Pyrenees, but will remain similar and very mild along the coast. Overall, many temperatures will range between 17 and 22°C, still above average for this time of year. It will be even warmer or less cold early in the day, but the lowest temperatures could occur later in the day.

Weekend with a little bit of everything

Saturday will be a day of contrasts. While most areas will experience sunshine and thin clouds for much of the day, cloud cover will increase throughout the day in the Lleida region. Light rain is expected in this area towards the afternoon, becoming more frequent towards the Pyrenees and western Pre-Pyrenees. Winds will blow from the west and southwest, particularly noticeable along the coast, in higher elevations, and in the shoreline, with rough seas. In the afternoon, bands of cloud cover will expand, and between Saturday night and the early hours of Sunday, the passage of another front will bring further showers from west to east. These will again be scattered and light rain, while the weather will be calmer for the rest of Sunday, awaiting the arrival of the tramontana wind.

On Saturday, minimum temperatures will drop, so we'll need to bundle up a bit more early in the morning, but maximum temperatures will rise temporarily inland. Next week, temperatures could drop significantly, though this is still uncertain and will need to be confirmed.