Rain from Saturday across eastern Spain

Spain's state meteorological agency, Aemet, has warned that dana Adam, the first high-impact dana of the season, will bring heavy and persistent rain from Saturday 17 October. The rain is expected to hit Cataluña, the Comunidad Valenciana, the Región de Murcia and the Balearics, with particular attention to the Mediterranean coast. Protección Civil has kept its alert in place for possible local floods, sudden rises in ramblas and ravines, and large water accumulations. Instability is forecast to grow across much of the peninsula on Saturday, with storms that could be especially intense in the afternoon in eastern Catalonia and the south-east. Meteorologists quoted by La Razón place Sunday 18 October and Monday 19 October as the days of greatest risk.

Catalonia's highest warning levels

Meteocat has issued level 5 warnings, the top of its 6-point scale, for Saturday in Vallès Oriental, Maresme and La Selva, where rainfall could exceed 40 millimetres in 30 minutes. Neighbouring comarcas, among them Barcelonès, Baix Llobregat, Gironès and Bages, sit one level lower at 4 of 6. Protecció Civil has the Inuncat flood plan in its alert phase, anticipating more than 20 litres per square metre in 30 minutes and over 60 litres in three hours across the eastern half of Catalonia. The most intense period is expected between 14:00 and 20:00 on Saturday, and residents are advised to limit travel during those hours. Protecció Civil will wait for the Saturday morning map update before sending an ES-Alert with recommendations, which it plans to do around 12:00. Santi Segalà, head of forecasting at the Servei Meteorològic de Catalunya, asked residents near red-warning zones to stay alert, particularly in the interior of the north-east, the Barcelona metropolitan area and, on Sunday morning, Camp de Tarragona.

Barcelona and rail services

Barcelona city council activated its municipal emergency plan in the alert phase on the night of Friday 16 October, citing the risk that the city's drainage could be overwhelmed. It advised residents to avoid flood-prone areas and to move objects at home that water could carry away. The Govern has arranged alternative road transport in case rain forces the suspension of Rodalies services, covering lines R1, R2 Nord, R2 Sud, R3, R4 Nord, R4 Sud, R7, R8, R13, R14, R15, R16, R17 and RG1. Accumulations of up to 100 litres per square metre are forecast for Barcelona and Tarragona, and between 50 and 100 litres per square metre along the coast, pre-coast and central Catalonia from the end of Saturday to early Sunday. Protecció Civil also urges people not to approach rivers, ramblas or ravines and not to cross flooded areas on foot or by car.

Murcia, the Balearics and Valencia

Murcia faces yellow warnings for Sunday for rain and storms in several comarcas, with up to 80 litres per square metre possible in 12 hours in Campo de Cartagena and Mazarrón. Ibiza and Formentera could see locally torrential rain as part of the same episode. Aemet's warning covers the Comunidad Valenciana alongside the Balearics and the Mediterranean coast. Civil protection advice for all these areas is to check the forecast and traffic before leaving and to avoid unnecessary trips during intense rain.

Expert warning on the Barcelona coast

Oriol Bassa, an environmental expert quoted by LaVanguardia, said the northern Barcelona coast is more exposed after recent storms, which eroded stream banks, damaged walls and breakwaters, and left the ground saturated. Expanding urban areas reduce permeable surfaces and speed the flow of water into watercourses. Bassa warned that a combination of heavy rain and a sea storm could hinder the mouths of ramblas and cause water to pool in low-lying areas. The storm Gloria, in January 2020, recorded waves of between 12 and 17 metres at measuring points on the Catalan coast.

“If there were a dana tomorrow, we would have more problems than we had the first weekend of October.”

Bassa singled out the R1 commuter line, which runs along the sea and crosses areas affected by the floods.

“If we have a dana and a sea storm at the same time, the R1 is in very bad shape.”