Spain is facing a day of sharp weather contrasts this Sunday, 16 August, with intense heat continuing across parts of the country while thunderstorms, torrential rain, hail and powerful wind gusts threaten others. Weather warnings are in force today across nine autonomous regions.
Spain Expat Press Editorial Team
Orange warnings in Aragón and Valencia
The most serious warnings are in parts of Aragón and the Valencian Community. Teruel and Castellón are under an orange alert for heavy rain and thunderstorms, according to Spain’s state weather agency Aemet.
Warnings for rain and storms are also in place in Granada and Jaén, as well as parts of Castilla y León, Catalonia and La Rioja.
At the same time, high-temperature alerts remain active in several areas, including parts of Andalusia, the Balearic Islands, Extremadura, Galicia, Castilla y León and Catalonia.
DANA brings an increasingly unstable picture
The unsettled conditions are being driven by a DANA – an isolated depression at high altitude – positioned to the south-west of the Iberian Peninsula.
Cloud is expected to build across much of inland Spain as the day progresses, with showers and thunderstorms developing particularly over mountainous areas during the afternoon. Some of these storms could later spread into lower-lying areas.
Aemet has warned that thunderstorms may be accompanied by very strong wind gusts and hail. The most intense storms are expected around the Pyrenees, the Baetic mountain ranges and the lower Ebro valley, where conditions could become particularly severe.
Andalusia faces storms, hail and strong winds today
Andalusia is among the regions affected by Sunday’s unstable weather.
Showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop across inland areas during the afternoon, with the greatest risk concentrated around the mountains of central and eastern Andalusia.
Some storms could become locally severe, bringing hail and very strong wind gusts. Mist and patches of fog are also possible along the coast.
Moderate easterly Levante winds are expected along the eastern Mediterranean coast and through the Strait of Gibraltar, becoming strong at times.
Yet heat remains another concern. Almería, Córdoba, Jaén and Seville are also subject to high-temperature warnings today, creating a striking contrast between extreme summer heat and potentially violent thunderstorms.
Temperatures above 35C – and another tropical night
Despite the storms, the August heat is far from over.
Temperatures are expected to exceed 35C across parts of south-western Spain, the Balearic Islands and the north-eastern lowlands, with similarly high readings possible locally along the Mediterranean coast and in south-western Galicia.
There will be little relief after sunset. Large parts of south-western Spain and the Mediterranean coastline are facing another tropical night, with temperatures remaining at or above 20C.
Thunderstorm risk stretches across Spain
In Aragón and Catalonia, the main storm risk is concentrated around the Pyrenees and other mountainous areas, where rainfall could become locally heavy.
Thunderstorms are also possible across Extremadura during the afternoon and may become locally severe. Castilla-La Mancha could see scattered showers and storms, while in the Madrid region the greatest risk is around the Sierra.
The result is a highly changeable weather picture across much of the country, with conditions potentially varying considerably over relatively short distances.
A turbulent Sunday across Spain
Anyone travelling or spending time outdoors today is advised to keep a close eye on local weather conditions, particularly in inland and mountainous areas. Summer thunderstorms can develop rapidly, bringing sudden downpours, hail and powerful gusts of wind.
Spain is therefore facing a turbulent Sunday of weather extremes: intense August heat continues across large parts of the country, while the DANA raises the threat of severe storms elsewhere.
