Lorraine Williamson
Spain´s weather for March 1 is delivering a familiar early-spring mix: calmer spells in some areas, sharper edges in others — and the first real sense that March won’t be a straight run into sunshine.
AEMET’s national outlook for Sunday highlights two key risks: very strong trade-wind gusts in the Canary Islands and strong Levante winds around the Strait of Gibraltar.
Calima is edging back in — and it can turn rain into “mud rain”
The other watchpoint is calima (Saharan dust). Forecast reporting indicates the dust plume may reach the southeast, including Ceuta, Melilla and the Balearics.
If showers arrive while dust is hanging overhead, it can lead to the nuisance phenomenon many residents know too well: muddy rain, which leaves cars, terraces and outdoor furniture coated in grit.
Winds: why the Strait and the Canaries matter today
For the Costa and anyone driving or crossing by ferry, the Strait of Gibraltar can become a pinch-point quickly when Levante strengthens. AEMET’s warnings list includes coastal risk in the Estrecho–Cádiz zone through Sunday.
In the Canary Islands, the story is more forceful: gusty trade winds have been the headline for days, with repeated warnings for wind and sea conditions, alongside haze.
Temperatures: a lift in the north, colder starts still around
A national summary published this morning points to maximum temperatures rising in the northern half, while frost persists in some inland northern provinces and colder early mornings continue even where afternoons feel mild.
Context: after a very wet start to 2026, the pattern is still unsettled
This winter has already been unusually wet in parts of Spain. AEMET figures reported in the media put rainfall from 1 January to 25 February at around double the normal level for that point in the year, with Andalucia and Extremadura among the wettest.
That matters because saturated ground and fast-changing weather can turn “normal” showers into local disruption more quickly.
What to do today
If you’re in or travelling through exposed coastal areas, treat wind warnings seriously, especially around the Strait and in the Canaries. If calima builds, people with asthma or respiratory issues may want to scale back intense outdoor exercise.
And if there’s rain on your local forecast? It might be wise to leave the car wash until the dust clears.
The Sunday outlook
March begins with a hazy edge in the south and east, and a windy punch near the Strait and the Canaries — with a more changeable week likely ahead.