Heavy rains and hail batter Catalonia, 157 emergency calls and one serious injury

Storm impact across Catalonia

Intense storms swept through Catalonia on Saturday afternoon and evening, bringing heavy rain, hail, and strong wind gusts. The 112 emergency telephone received 157 communications by 20:00, of which 96 were classified as rain-related incidents. The Bombers de la Generalitat received 94 alerts between midday and 8pm, the majority concerning flooded basements, water accumulations, blocked drains, and trees or structures at risk of falling. Protección Civil maintained the INUNCAT flood emergency plan in alert phase throughout the day.

The hardest-hit localities by rainfall volume were Artés in the comarca of Bages, which accumulated 30.1 litres per square metre in 30 minutes, Sant Pau de Segúries in the Ripollès with 29.2, and Muntanyola in Osona with 21.6. Hailstones up to 5 centimetres in diameter were recorded in some parts of the territory. In the Berguedà, the storm caused a sharp temperature drop: a resident of Avià reported the mercury falling from 27°C to 17°C in fifteen minutes.

Emergency response and regional breakdown

Calls to 112 were concentrated in the Baix Llobregat (18% of the total), followed by the Segrià (17%) and the Ripollès (12%). The town of Abrera alone generated 20 calls to 112, and trees fell on the BV-1201 road, requiring an alternative route to be set up. Seventeen communications came from Corbins. Bombers alerts were distributed across seven emergency regions: Metropolitana Nord received 28, Centre 25, Metropolitana Sud 18, Girona 12, Lleida 9, Tarragona 1, and Terres de l'Ebre 1.

Bombers also carried out several rescues of people caught outdoors. In Setcases (Girona), lightning struck near a group of French hikers, and one person fell 8 metres. That individual was transferred in serious condition to Hospital Vall d'Hebron in Barcelona.

Road closures and traffic disruption

The Servei Català de Trànsit cut the C-25 highway in both directions at Sant Julià de Vilatorta (Osona) around 14:15 due to intense precipitation and water pooling on the roadway. The closure lasted approximately 20 minutes before the road reopened without further disruption. In Camprodon (Ripollès), a notable quantity of hail fell, and numerous residents posted images of the phenomenon.

Weather warnings and forecast

Meteocat had issued a violent-weather warning early Saturday afternoon for the possibility of hail exceeding 2 centimetres in diameter, wind gusts above 25 metres per second, and possible tornadoes in some areas. The danger level in Osona reached the maximum rating of 6 out of 6. As the afternoon progressed, the highest risk shifted toward l'Anoia and the Solsonès, while the Bages, the Segarra, and the Urgell also carried high risk.

Forecasts indicated that showers could exceed 40 litres per square metre in 30 minutes in the comarques of Ponent and the Camp de Tarragona. For the overnight hours, Meteocat flagged the possibility of surpassing 20 litres per square metre in 30 minutes in the southern half of Catalonia, though the probability of exceeding 40 litres had decreased. Showers could be accompanied by thunderstorms, hail, and strong wind gusts. Protección Civil urged caution during travel and outdoor activities, especially near rivers, streams, ravines, and flood-prone areas, and asked municipalities to inspect points where water typically accumulates. Rain was expected to continue with reduced intensity until the early hours of Sunday.