It has been normally warm in large parts of Spain in recent days. Now a so-called ‘explosive cyclogenesis’ is throwing a spanner in the works of people who count on sun and blue skies. A drastic weather change with a weather pattern that is more typical of the end of June, but then of mid-June. Moreover, it will leave few parts of Spain untouched.
On Saturday, a cold air mass of almost polar origin already entered the Iberian Peninsula. AEMET warns that this mass will create a ‘gota fría’ or DANA. This means that it will rain in almost all of Spain in the coming days. However, the most intense showers will be in the centre, east and the Atlantic side of the peninsula. From Saturday, June 8, AEMET warned of a cold air mass of near-polar origin that will pass over the Iberian Peninsula. This mass will cause a gota fría, meaning that it will rain over almost all of Spain in the coming days, with the most intense showers hitting the east of the country.
Cold, rain, and even snow
According to current forecasts, it will start to rain in the centre of the country around Madrid. These showers then move towards the entire Spanish east coast and the Balearic Islands. The southeast of Andalucia will also experience showers. What is also remarkable is the drop in temperatures throughout Spain. The mercury will drop significantly, with lows below 10 degrees inland. This unexpected cold front also means that snowfall is expected in many mountain areas at altitudes between 1700 and 2000 metres.
The weather will remain unpredictable until at least Wednesday. After that it is quiet for a while, except for some isolated showers in the Balearic Islands. On Friday, the entire north of Spain will experience precipitation again. From Galicia to the eastern Pyrenees and large parts of Catalonia.
What is explosive cyclogenesis?
An explosive cyclogenesis, a bomb cyclone or weather bomb, is a rapid and significant drop in air pressure in a weather system. This happens when the air pressure drops by at least 24 hectopascals (hPa) within 24 hours, depending on latitude. Bomb cyclones mainly occur in winter and above the sea, but can also occur on land. They can produce very strong winds of 120 to 155 km/h, comparable to a Category 1 hurricane, and are often accompanied by heavy rainfall. Even the less powerful bomb cyclones can cause significant damage. The main difference from a DANA is that an explosive cyclogenesis is a rapid and intense development of a storm with a significant drop in pressure, while a DANA is a more isolated phenomenon that can produce intense rainfall without the rapid pressure changes of a bomb cyclone. However, both can have significant weather impacts. Meteorologists therefore advise to keep a close eye on the weather forecasts.