A DANA is heading towards the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands from France. The storm will bring intense rains, storms and rough seas that have put eight autonomous communities on alert. The National Meteorological Agency (AEMET) has placed a large part of the Mediterranean coast on yellow alert and the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands and Catalonia on orange alert. The agency sent a special note to warn that in the areas expected to be most affected – the Balearic Islands, the Valencian coast, the province of Malaga and western Andalusia – 100 to 120 liters per square meter can accumulate in 12 hours.
The very heavy to torrential rains and downpours that DANA brings to the Mediterranean coast and the Balearic Islands begin this Tuesday and will last at least until Saturday. Early this Tuesday, the agency forecasts rains especially on the islands – very heavy in Pitiusas and Majorca – and in the Valencian Community, while strong winds are expected on the Catalan coast. “Do not approach ravines and ravines even if they are dry: their flow can increase quickly,” warns the institution via its X account.
In Almería maintains pre-emergency phase due to flood risk (PERI), with a zero operational situation after a yellow storm warning in the capital and the Poniente region. The night of heavy rain passed without any major incident, but the alert will remain active, in principle, until 9:00 p.m. this Tuesday. Services are still keeping the A-7 closed to road traffic.
Snow is also expected this Tuesday in the Cantabrian and Pyrenees mountains, as well as strong gusts of wind at high altitudes.
Catalonia has activated the orange alert specifically in Girona due to unfavorable coastal phenomena with northerly winds of 60 to 70 km/h (force 8), waves of 3 to 4 meters and an expected maximum wave of 6 to 7 meters. In the provinces of Barcelona and Tarragona there is a yellow warning for storms and rain which will drop 20 liters in an hour.
The Valencian Community maintains the orange warning in the provinces of Valencia and Alicante, especially in coastal areas, due to precipitation accumulated in one hour of up to 40 liters, sometimes accompanied by thunderstorms; Aemet specifies that the alert will begin at 9:00 p.m. Peninsula time. Castellón is under yellow warning due to rain which will drop 20 liters in an hour.
The Region of Murcia has activated the yellow alert in the valley of Guadalentín, Lorca, Águilas, Campo de Cartagena and Mazarrón, where 20 liters are expected to be collected in one hour and also due to storms.
In the Principality of Asturias there is a yellow warning for snow in the Cordillera and the Picos de Europa due to accumulations of 5 cm thick above 1,100 meters, while in Castile and León the Snowfall will affect the Cantabrian Sierra of León and Palencia above 1,200 meters. meters.
Aragon is in yellow due to maximum gusts of northwest wind that will reach 70 km/h on the banks of the Ebro in Zaragoza, while in Galicia the yellow level is expected in A Coruña, due to unfavorable coastal phenomena.
With the orange alert there is a significant weather risk, with a certain degree of danger for usual activities, and with the yellow alert there is no weather risk for the general population, although there is exists for certain specific activities.
The Inuncat plan pre-alert is activated
The Civil Protection of the Generalitat of Catalonia has decided to keep the pre-alert phase of the Inuncat plan active since yesterday evening due to the forecast of intense rains which, in the coming hours, could leave up to 20 liters per square meter in half an hour. from noon this Tuesday until the evening in different Catalan regions. According to Civil Protection, the rains will fall mainly on the coast and in the central and southern pre-coastal zone, with more probability in the Baix Camp region.
On Wednesday, the intensity of the rains will continue in the Mediterranean area, especially in Malaga, north of Alicante, south of Valencia, north of Castellón and south of Tarragona, with accumulations of around 150 mm. In the rest of the Mediterranean, precipitation will be more moderate and strong winds will persist in mountainous areas and on the coasts.
For Thursday, the DANA will probably be located in the southwest of the peninsula, extending the instability towards the west of Andalusia, with intense rains in Valencia, Malaga and the strait.