The accumulated rainfall in Spain, since the beginning of the hydrological year in October last year, is 7% above the normal value for that period. This was reported by the Spanish weather service Aemet. But not all autonomous regions received more rain than the normal amount.
The national average of the total amount of precipitation in Spain in the hydrological year (from October 1, 2023 to May 7, 2024) was 512 litres per square metre (l/m2). The normal value for that period is 479 l/m2.
Differences by region
In a number of regions, there was more rain than normal. This applies to the western half and the interior of the peninsula, the eastern part of the Basque Country, Navarre, the western half of the Pyrenees and northern Aragon. On the other hand, the values in Asturias, Cantabria, the northern half of the province of Burgos and the eastern and southern halves of Andalucia were values below normal.
The amount of precipitation was also remarkably low in a strip in eastern Spain, which runs from Almeria to the Ebro Delta. Also, less than a quarter of the precipitation has been recorded in part of Murcia and Almeria. The amount of rainfall was also much lower along the coastline of the entire Valencian Community compared to the average value for the period 1991-2020. At the same time, accumulated precipitation amounts are also below average in the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands.
Rain in first week of May
Aemet further reported that between May 1 and 7, rainfall was widespread throughout the peninsula, with the exception of the provinces of Valencia and Huelva, the Balearic Islands and the north of the Canary Islands. In the eastern half of Galicia there was heavy rainfall, with values of 100 and 150 l/m2.
In much of northwestern Spain, 10 l/m2 fell, as well as in the entire Pyrenees strip and locally in Andalucia and Castellón. Among the most remarkable precipitation amounts, Aemet mentions 124 l/m2 in Santiago de Compostela/Labacolla; 107 l/m2 in Pontevedra; 100 l/m2 in Vigo/Peinador; 58 l/m2 in A Coruña; 57 l/m2 in A Coruña/Alvedro and 50 l/m2 in Lugo/Rozas.
After the first week, it stopped raining almost all of Spain; on May 8 there was still rain in Menorca, on May 9 it didn’t rain anywhere in Spain.
Weather change on the way
Over the weekend, it may rain in the northeast of the northern Meseta and around the eastern part of the Cantabrian Mountains and the northern Iberian System. Cold air is arriving in Spain, which will be felt in the northwest from Monday.