This week will see heavy rain and wind in large parts of Spain at least until Wednesday. From Thursday the rain will subside. And next weekend is likely to be sunny, said Spanish weather service spokesman AEMET Rubén del Campo.
The frontal systems associated with Atlantic storms in Spain caused a lot of precipitation in the south and west of the peninsula in the last 48 hours. For instance, del Campo pointed to the 144 litres per square metre in the town of Grazalema, in the province of Cadiz, and the 73 litres per square metre in the town of Gaucín in Málaga.
Temperatures rose after dropping below minus 5 degrees in the Pyrenees over the weekend. Over the next few days, the weather situation will be ‘clearly conditioned’ by the presence of the ‘Efraín’ storm in the Atlantic. This will ensure the arrival of a very moist and moderate wind flow from the Caribbean to the Iberian Peninsula.
This will result in abundant rainfall, especially in the south and west of the peninsula, with heavy winds in many places. Storm Efraín moves closer to the Iberian Peninsula on Wednesday and Thursday, days when the rain persists. On Thursday, the rain eases somewhat.
Friday and over the weekend, the precipitation will practically disappear, due to an anticyclone “that will be over Spain,” the AEMET spokesman said. Temperatures will rise early in the week, becoming warmer than normal for the time of year, and from Thursday thermometers are likely to drop.
Will it freeze next weekend?
Del Campo explained that uncertainty remains for the weekend, with a scenario that takes into account a further temperature drop on Saturday. That would result in the return of overnight frosts in the centre and north of the peninsula. ‘But the most likely scenario at the moment is the presence of milder temperatures, with frost only in mountain areas,’ he added.
On Tuesday, Spain will face very strong winds, especially in the southern interior of the peninsula. Heavy rainfall will occur especially in western Galicia, Extremadura and eastern Castile-La Mancha and western Andalucia. The rain could fall almost anywhere on the peninsula and the Balearic Islands. On Wednesday, rain is unlikely to reach the Mediterranean and will be light in the Cantabrian Sea.
Temperatures particularly high on Tuesday
Temperatures will continue to rise on Tuesday and minimum temperatures will be particularly high for the season, even 10 degrees or more above normal in the southern half due to the arrival of the atmospheric river that brings so much precipitation, but also warm air of subtropical origin. Wednesday remains mild, but with a temperature drop in the southern half. During Tuesday and Wednesday, snow levels will be very high and snow will fall only on the highest peaks.
Weather from Thursday
On Thursday, temperatures start to drop and become more consistent with the season. Showers will return, although weaker than on previous days. Across much of the peninsula, except the Mediterranean, heavy rain could still fall in western Andalucia and the Strait of Gibraltar area, and lower temperatures will see snow in the mountains of the northern half above 2,500 metres. Intense winds will persist in the coastal areas of both the Cantabrian Sea and the Mediterranean and also in the Atlantic.
Some rain may still fall in the far north and south of the peninsula on Friday, but over the weekend the weather will be generally dry. There is still some uncertainty about temperatures.
November was warmer and drier than average
Del Campo indicated that November was a “very warm” month, with an average temperature of 11.3 degrees, i.e. 1.9 degrees above the normal average, making it the third warmest November in Spain since records began since 1961, after November 1983 and 2006. As for precipitation across Spain, 74 litres per square metre fell in November, while the average value is 79 litres per square metre. Del Campo pointed out that precipitation was about 19% below the normal average for the month, although November can be considered a ‘good’ month in terms of precipitation.
