WEATHER – The week before Christmas in Spain is accompanied by a considerable change in weather. From Tuesday, the Spanish weather service Aemet predicts heavy rainfall in the west of the Iberian Peninsula, which will spread all over Spain towards Christmas.
The rainfall will start locally on Tuesday but will become much more intense in the following days with between 50 and 100 liters of water per square metre expected in the Spanish regions of Galicia, the north and west of Extremadura, the south of Castile and León, and the west of Andalucia. Code yellow will be announced on Tuesday and Wednesday due to dense fog in several provinces in Aragón, Catalonia, Navarra, and La Rioja.
Locally more than 100 litres of rain per square metre in Spain
The Aemet predicts that rain will spread eastward from Tuesday and all of Spain will experience rainfall on December 24. The regions mentioned above will be hit the hardest. The Spanish weather service does not dare to rule out the possibility that more than 100 litres per square metre can fall in these areas. In the province of Cáceres, heavy rain showers can be accompanied by thunderstorms.
Until Christmas, the coast of Catalonia, Valencia, Murcia, and the Balearics will be largely spared from the intense rain. However, during Christmas, it will rain moderately to heavy all over Spain.
Also rain on Canary Islands
The Canary Islands will not be spared from this rain. On Tuesday, between 15 and 20 litres per square meter is expected on La Palma, El Hierro, and La Gomera. Also Thursday and Friday the Aemet predicts rain in the north of Tenerife and on La Palma. Locally, gusts of wind up to 90 kilometres per hour are also forecast.
Colder Christmas coming
During the coming rainy days, temperatures will be a bit warmer for the time of year until Christmas. Except in the regions where fog is forecast, the temperature does not fall below 10 to 15 degrees in Spain. While the rain will continue through Christmas, it will get a bit colder as the weekend progresses. The drop in temperatures can locally cause snowfall in areas between 1,000 and 1,500 meters above sea level.
