MADRID – Spain is about to say goodbye to the stifling heat that is dominating the country during these first days of October. A weather change is lurking and it´s expected to bring abundant rainy weather and falling temperatures.
The unusual anticyclonic blocking pattern that has persisted over the Iberian Peninsula for a long time appears to be giving way to a depression.
Rainy weather
The arrival of real autumn weather offers a welcome opportunity to replenish much-needed water supplies. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts has reported a storm is in the making that could bring rain to Spain next week, during the celebrations of El Pilar on October 12 (also the celebration of Día de la Hispanidad).
According to European Centre model data, a deep depression will form west of Portugal early next week. This depression is expected to move to the Iberian Peninsula on Wednesday. However, it should be noted that weather forecasts are always subject to changes. Yet according to meteorologists, everything points to a notable weather change.
One of the main consequences of the arrival of this depression would be the possibility of significant rainfall in several regions of the Atlantic coast of the peninsula.
This includes areas that have suffered severe water shortages in recent months. Agriculture, livestock farming and drinking water supplies in those areas have suffered massively.
Farewell to the summer heat
In recent weeks, unadulterated summer weather has continued for an unexpectedly long time. Temperatures reached levels normally associated with the height of summer. Thermometers in large parts of the country showed values well above thirty degrees even in the first days of October.
The anticyclonic blocking pattern kept a firm grip on the peninsula and created a warm air mass that enveloped the land. As the week progressed, a front reached the Cantabrian region, finally bringing the long-awaited rainfall. The usually wet northwest of Spain has also battled drought and extreme heat this year. For example, on October 1 it was still 34 degrees in the mountains of the Picos de Europa. In addition to the rain, the expected front will also bring significantly lower temperatures to the north of the peninsula.
First step towards normalisation of the weather
Although the temperature drop in the rest of the country will not be as significant, this is a first step towards normalising the weather. The residents of the north can breathe a sigh of relief from the heat. Elsewhere, however, temperatures will remain high, although perhaps not at the extreme levels seen in recent weeks.
But, until the weather turns, unusual heat will continue in large parts of Spain this week. Atmospheric stability will continue to prevail, with dry and sunny days maintaining high temperatures. Maximum temperatures between 25 and 30 degrees are expected in most regions in the coming days.
Más allá de descensos térmicos fugaces, en lo que queda de semana seguiremos con un ambiente más típico de verano 🥵 en muchas zonas.
Estamos bajo la influencia una masa de aire inusualmente cálido 📈 para las fechas.
🌐 https://t.co/YmmICKUMeF pic.twitter.com/DV1DdOZMX7
— Meteored | tiempo.com (@MeteoredES) October 3, 2023
