MADRID – Spain, only just recovering from the devastating effects of Storm Ciarán, is preparing for the arrival of a new storm called Domingos.
This coming weekend, the country will again be hit by very strong gusts of wind. These could reach speeds of up to 100 kilometres per hour, mainly in coastal areas and mountain regions. The announcement comes after a young woman died last Thursday in Madrid when a tree fell due to strong winds.
Continued instability on Friday
The Spanish meteorological service Aemet predicts continued instability across the country this Friday, with strong and very strong gusts of wind in the north and east of the mainland and the Balearic Islands, and particularly heavy precipitation in Galicia. A red alert has been issued for coastal phenomena in the following areas;
- Asturias
- Cantabria
- Galicia
- Basque Country
Furthermore, an orange alert for the same reason and for wind is in place as follows;
- Andalucia
- Balearic Island
- Castilla-La Mancha
- Catalonia
- Valencian Community
Rain and intense wind on Saturday
Precipitation and very intense winds will be particularly noticeable on Saturday, with the greatest effects in the northwestern quadrant of the peninsula. The snow line is rising, which limits snowfall to higher parts of the Pyrenees. The westerly wind will cause very strong gusts, especially on the Galician and Asturian coasts, as well as in the mountains and plateaux.
More stable weather on Sunday
A gradual stabilisation of the atmosphere is expected by Sunday and Monday. Then Domingos moves away to the North Sea. Precipitation, wind and sea conditions will then become less intense. However, some scattered showers may still occur on Sunday in Galicia and the Cantabrian regions, as well as very intense winds in the mountain systems of the eastern third of the country. The wind is expected to decrease during the day. This will probably end this period of bad weather on Monday.
Impact of Storm Ciaran
Storm Ciarán claimed the life of a 23-year-old woman in Madrid on Thursday and caused the cancellation of more than 80 flights, disruptions to rail services, the collapse of infrastructures and the toppling of trees in several parts of the country. The storm, one of the deepest depressions in Europe in recent years, hit the entire country except the Canary Islands and the far southeast of Spain, with hurricane-like winds. They reached speeds of more than 160 kilometres per hour and were accompanied by rain and waves up to 9 metres high.
With the upcoming storm Domingos, Aemet recommends remaining vigilant and following the weather reports closely.
