MADRID — Jorge Rey, the highly cited and widely followed young Spanish meteorologist, is forecasting intense rainfall across Spain, extending beyond the country’s traditionally wet regions. This time, Andalucia, Extremadura, and Castilla-La Mancha are in the crosshairs.
A prelude in Northern Spain
Northern Spain already experienced a taste of what’s to come last weekend. Heavy rain inundated regions such as Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, and the Basque Country. In Gijón, storms were strong enough to uproot trees and knock down lampposts onto parked cars. Rey described the large hailstones that fell in Vizcaya as “historic boulders.”
Also read: Jorge Rey predicts something very different for July in Spain
Widespread showers
According to Rey, these initial storms are merely a precursor. “Rain showers will spread across vast portions of the country,” he warns. He particularly expects intense downpours in Andalucia, Extremadura, and Castilla-La Mancha, emphasising, “They’re coming fast, and in some areas, they will be quite severe.”
An unusual October ahead predicts Jorge Rey
Rey is also predicting that this October will be “very different from previous years.” He anticipates that colder weather will arrive earlier than usual, a forecast he bases on the observed behaviour of swallows. Moreover, he speculates that the coming winter could bring an onslaught of snowstorms and forceful winds.
Learning from Greece’s tragedy
Rey believes that Spain can learn valuable lessons from the recent catastrophic flooding in Greece, where over 800 litres of rain per square metre fell in just one day. “It resulted in devastating scenes,” notes Rey. The death toll from Greece’s extreme weather currently stands at 15.
Is extreme weather on the horizon for Spain?
Regions like Madrid and Toledo also faced severe weather last weekend. When questioned why Spain has so far been spared even worse conditions, Rey explained, “Both Spain and Greece have very warm Mediterranean waters post-summer. However, Greece experienced more intense cold fronts, which triggered the devastating storms.”
Aemet corroborates storm warnings
Spain’s national weather service, Aemet, is also warning of stormy conditions this upcoming weekend. They forecast that a new DANA (Isolated High-Level Depression) will impact the Iberian Peninsula, primarily from Friday through at least Monday.
Where
Aemet predicts that the showers will extend from the south to the north, with particularly heavy rainfall expected in the Comunidad Valenciana, the Region of Murcia, the Comunidad de Madrid, and southern Andalucia around Cádiz. Rainfall amounts between 40 and 60 litres per square metre are possible.
Temperature fluctuations
According to Aemet, temperatures are expected to vary but remain generally typical for this time of the year, with slightly warmer conditions in the north and the archipelagos, and cooler temperatures inland.
The outlook ahead
While the forecast for the last week of September remains uncertain, Aemet anticipates that temperatures will generally be higher than usual, except in some inland regions.
Storm precautions
Aemet states that these rain showers could be accompanied by severe thunderstorms. For the week of September 18 to 24, there is a heightened risk of precipitation in the northwest of the peninsula, the Cantabrian region, and the Pyrenees.
