Lorraine Williamson
Barcelona and surrounding areas have been placed under red rainfall warnings as DANA Adam brings the threat of torrential rain and flash flooding to parts of Spain this weekend. Catalonia’s meteorological service, Meteocat, has extended its highest-level alerts ahead of storms expected to intensify on Saturday afternoon and continue into the early hours of Sunday.
The warnings cover seven Catalan districts at different times, including Barcelona itself and several neighbouring coastal and inland areas. Meteocat has warned that more than 40 litres of rain per square metre could fall in just 30 minutes, creating a risk of sudden flooding in streets, underpasses and normally dry watercourses.
The red warnings form part of a wider episode of severe weather associated with DANA Adam, the first high-impact isolated upper-level depression named by Spain’s State Meteorological Agency, AEMET, this season. Heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast across parts of the Mediterranean coast and the Balearic Islands, with the unsettled conditions expected to continue until at least Monday 19 October.
Barcelona and six other districts face red warnings
Meteocat has issued its highest colour-coded rainfall warning for seven comarques, or districts, across Catalonia, with the greatest danger expected during Saturday afternoon and overnight.
Between 2.00 pm and 8.00 pm on Saturday, red warnings are scheduled for Maresme, Vallès Oriental and La Selva. From 8.00 pm until 2.00 am on Sunday, the highest-level warnings shift to Barcelonès, which includes Barcelona city, Vallès Occidental, Baix Llobregat and Garraf.
The alerts concern exceptionally intense rainfall over short periods, rather than continuous heavy rain throughout every affected district. In some locations, accumulations could exceed 90 litres per square metre in three hours.
Catalonia’s Civil Protection authorities have activated the Inuncat flood emergency plan and urged people to minimise unnecessary journeys. Residents are being warned to avoid streams, ravines and low-lying areas where water levels can rise rapidly.
Emergency mobile alerts and possible transport disruption
Catalan authorities have arranged ES-Alert emergency messages for mobile phones in areas facing the greatest risk. These messages are intended to warn residents and visitors directly about dangerous weather and provide instructions where necessary.
At the time of the latest reports, no general restrictions on movement had been imposed. However, Protección Civil has advised against unnecessary travel during the most intense storms and warned that additional measures could be introduced if conditions deteriorate.
Rail passengers may also face disruption. Renfe has warned that the forecast rainfall could affect services, particularly along coastal routes, and has advised passengers to check for updates before travelling.
The warnings do not mean that all services have been cancelled. Any closures, restrictions or changes to railway timetables will depend on the weather as it develops.
Murcia and other Mediterranean regions also at risk
While Catalonia faces the most serious warnings on Saturday, DANA Adam is expected to affect a much wider area of Spain over the coming days.
AEMET has issued orange rainfall warnings for parts of Murcia, including the Valle del Guadalentín, Lorca, Águilas, Cartagena and Mazarrón. Heavy showers and thunderstorms are also forecast in parts of Andalucía and other eastern regions, with the level of risk varying considerably between locations.
The national meteorological agency has warned that some of the most intense rainfall during the wider episode could occur around Cabo de la Nao in Alicante, the Murcia coastline, eastern Catalonia and Ibiza and Formentera.
In particularly exposed locations, rainfall totals could exceed 150 litres per square metre within 12 hours. These are potential local accumulations, not forecasts for every town or coastal area.
Sunday and Monday could bring further flooding risk
Although Saturday’s immediate concern is the intense rainfall forecast for Catalonia and Murcia, AEMET expects the wider weather episode to continue through Sunday and Monday.
The position of DANA Adam, together with moisture-laden winds from the Mediterranean, could produce prolonged or repeated downpours in eastern Spain and the Balearic Islands. The agency has warned of the possibility of local totals reaching 150 to 300 litres per square metre over the episode in the most affected areas.
There remains considerable uncertainty about exactly where the heaviest rain will fall. Small changes in the position of the weather system could substantially alter which towns and coastal areas experience the greatest rainfall.
Temperatures are also expected to fall across much of Spain, bringing an end to the unusually warm conditions experienced earlier in the week.
Protección Civil urges residents to avoid floodwater
Spain’s Civil Protection authorities have maintained their alert for very heavy and persistent rain along the Mediterranean coast and in the Balearic Islands.
Drivers are being advised not to cross flooded roads, even where the water appears shallow. People should also avoid parking or walking in normally dry riverbeds, ravines and other areas where sudden rises in water levels can occur.
Residents in affected areas should follow instructions from local emergency services and take any ES-Alert messages received on their phones seriously. In an emergency, the number to call in Spain is 112.
Because warning levels and affected areas may change rapidly, anyone planning to travel this weekend should check the latest official forecast rather than rely on earlier weather reports.