The arrival of a DANA this weekend has caused heavy storms and rainfall in several provinces of Andalucia. The hail was particularly striking in the provinces of Granada, Almeria and Málaga. The impact of the DANA is still noticeable in Spain during the rest of the week.
The heavy rains of the last few hours will make for a “rainier than usual” end to the month of October, according to Aemet’s spokesman, Rubén del Campo. The DANA formed on Saturday after the passage of fronts associated with an Atlantic front will bring “instabililty with rain and showers, especially in the east of the peninsula” for a large part of the week.
A DANA will bring locally heavy showers and storms on Monday, according to the forecast of the Spanish weather service Aemet. The most affected areas are Girona and the coastal areas of Tarragona, Castellón, Murcia, Albacete, Almería, Málaga and the Strait of Gibraltar. Aemet predicts that the DANA will continue at least until Thursday.
It is likely that it will rain in the north of Galicia, the Iberian Peninsula, the east of the Meseta, the interior and the Mediterranean region, without excluding zones in the centre and the western end of Andalucia.
Weather site Eltiempo.es indicates that the accumulated precipitation until Wednesday could exceed 100 l/m2 in the east of Andalucia and Murcia and 150-200 l/m2 in the Valencian Community and the south of Catalonia. The meteorological portal Meteored even went so far as to point out that “it is not excluded” that in parts of the Valencian Community it could exceed 300 l/m² in 3 days.
In the Canary Islands, it will probably rain in the north of the mountainous islands. It could even snow in the Sierra Nevada.
Temperatures
Temperatures will be lower than normal in many areas in the southern half of the country, and in the Canary Islands.
Unpredictable
It cannot be ruled out that severe storms will spread to other areas, as DANAs are very unpredictable phenomena. Regarding the duration of the showers, Aemet says that the various scenarios agree that they will last at least until Thursday. But the weather service does not rule out extending these until Saturday.
DANA moves to the southwest
Starting Monday, the isolated high-level depression (DANA) is expected to move with a “retrograde motion” (from east to west, contrary to the usual atmospheric flows) to the southwest until it reaches the Gulf of Cadiz, where it will remain stationary. At the same time, Aemet warns, an easterly wind will develop in the Mediterranean that favours the arrival of large amounts of precipitation to the east of the peninsula.
Tuesday peak day
On Tuesday, October 29, which is expected to be the “peak day”, the wind will gain strength. This favours the arrival of large amounts of precipitation in the east of Spain. It can rain heavily, and the showers are accompanied by very heavy gusts of wind. The chance of heavy rainfall is highest in the Mediterranean region of the peninsula (less likely in Barcelona and Girona) and around the Strait of Gibraltar. In parts of the Valencian Community and Murcia, it is likely to exceed 150 litres per square metre per 24 hours.
Wednesday
On Wednesday 30 October, there is the greatest chance of locally very heavy and persistent precipitation in the west of Alborán, the Strait of Gibraltar and lower Guadalquivir, but the northeastern quadrant, especially in the vicinity of Castellón and Tarragona, could also be severely affected. On the Cantabrian and Atlantic coasts, with the exception of the southwestern quadrant of the peninsula, and on the Balearic Islands, the rains are less heavy.
Thursday
From Thursday, the front seems to be moving towards Portugal. As a result, the likelihood of heavy rainfall increases in the south and southwestern quadrants of the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands. Meanwhile, along the Mediterranean Sea, the chance of rain decreases.
Also read: Torrential rain and flooding in Mallorca