Hurricane-Force Winds of 168 km/h Hit Catalonia Forcing Road and Rail Closures

A severe wind storm battered northern Catalonia on Sunday, March 29, 2026, with gusts reaching 168 kilometers per hour in Portbou in the Alt Empordà region, forcing the closure of at least six roads and suspending train services on two lines, according to reports from Spanish emergency services and meteorological agencies. The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) activated a red alert for hurricane-force winds in the Pyrenees of Girona and the Pre-Pyrenees of Barcelona. Civil Protection sent Es-Alert messages to mobile phones across six counties — Solsonès, Berguedà, northern Cerdanya, Ripollès, Garrotxa, and Alt Empordà — urging residents to restrict mobility and outdoor activities throughout the day. The Meteocat service updated its hazard maps to level 5 out of 6 for wind, 4 out of 6 for coastal wave conditions along the northern coast, and 3 out of 6 for snowfall in the western Pyrenees. No injuries had been reported as of Sunday morning, according to RTVE.

Gusts top 160 km/h across multiple Girona stations Wind readings recorded at automatic weather stations across the region illustrated the storm's intensity, with Portbou-Coll dels Belitres registering 168 (km/h) — peak wind gust recorded in Portbou, Alt Empordà, while the Queralt sanctuary in Berguedà recorded 154 km/h and Darnius in Alt Empordà reached 135 km/h, according to El País. The Pantà de Darnius-Boadella station recorded 133.9 km/h, Tosa d'Alp reached 122.8 km/h, and Navata registered 115.9 km/h, according to La Vanguardia. Coastal towns less accustomed to such conditions also felt the tramontane's force, with Palamós recording 100 km/h and Banyoles reaching 89.6 km/h. Meteocat warned that the northern coastal strip of Catalonia would see waves exceeding two and a half meters, and that snowfall of up to 30 centimeters had accumulated in the Pyrenees, with the combination of wind and snow capable of producing blizzard conditions. The agency forecast that the storm's most intense phase would occur around midday, when the wind would blow from the north. „The worst of the storm could last until 20:00 hours.” — Inma Soler via RTVE

Portbou (Alt Empordà): 168, Queralt sanctuary (Berguedà): 154, Pantà de Darnius-Boadella: 133.9, Tosa d'Alp: 122.8, Navata: 115.9, Ulldeter (Girona): 110.5, El Perelló (Tarragona): 109.8, Palamós: 100

Six roads shut, two train lines halted across Girona province Fallen trees forced the Servei Català de Trànsit to close six county roads in Girona province in both directions, including the GI-502 in Darnius, the GI-505 in Vajol, the GIV-5132 in Fontcoberta, the GIV-5223 in Camprodon, and the GIV-5265 in both Vilallonga de Ter and Quart. Train operator Renfe suspended services on the Figueres-Portbou stretch of the R11 line and the Vic-Ripoll stretch of the R3 Rodalies line, at least until 13:00 hours. Snow also prompted additional restrictions: trucks were prohibited from the N-260 road in Montferrer i Castellbò, and chains became mandatory on the C-13, C-142b, C-147, and C-28 roads. The Girona City Council, identified as the city most affected by a storm two weeks prior, activated its wind emergency plan in alert phase, suspending outdoor scheduled activities and closing parks and gardens. Civil Protection asked residents across the affected counties to avoid unnecessary travel from 08:00 to 20:00, and the Servei Català de Trànsit specifically advised against driving in Alt Empordà, Ripollès, Berguedà, and Solsonès. Drivers who had no alternative were advised to reduce speed, increase safety distances, and exercise particular caution on viaducts, tunnels, and exposed stretches of road.

Emergency services log 231 calls and 170 firefighter reports by mid-morning The Bombers de la Generalitat received 170 reports between 20:00 on Saturday and 10:30 on Sunday morning, with 150 of those concentrated in the Girona Emergency Region alone, according to Europa Press. Among the most significant incidents were a small forest fire in l'Escala reported at 21:42 on Saturday, and the fall of structural elements onto cars in Vall-llobrega and Palamós at 10:28 on Sunday morning. The Centre Emergency Region logged 9 reports, including a case at 09:00 Sunday in which the roof of a municipal brigade warehouse blew off for the second time. The 112 emergency line had received 231 (calls) — total emergency calls related to the wind episode by 10:00 a.m. Sunday, generating 161 case files, with the highest concentrations of incidents in Castell-Platja d'Aro, l'Escala, and Palamós. Catalonia has faced a succession of severe storms since autumn, with a major gale in February 2026 leaving nine people hospitalized and causing widespread disruption across the region, according to El País. The current storm was described as the second to strike Catalonia within fifteen days, with the previous event causing multiple injuries and damage in the same areas now under alert. The tramontane and north wind are recurring meteorological phenomena in northern Catalonia, particularly affecting the Alt Empordà and the Pyrenean foothills. Civil Protection deputy director Inma Soler told TVE's Canal 24 Horas that the 112 line had received approximately 110 calls overnight with no major incident, though the storm was expected to intensify further before easing by evening. The regional authorities had also activated both the VENTCAT emergency wind plan and the PROCICAT civil protection plan in alert phase, covering risks from wind, rough seas on the Costa Brava, and snow on the northern Pyrenean slopes.