Atlantic Storms Bring Rain to Catalonia, Winds Over 40 km/h on Coast
A run of Atlantic storms brings on-and-off rain to Catalonia from Saturday, Nov. 14, with gusty garbí winds on the coast and a brief dry spell on Wednesday.
A string of Atlantic low-pressure systems moving across northern Spain will keep the weather in Catalonia unsettled over the coming days, with rain that comes and goes and showers scattered around the region, according to a forecast published by El Nacional. Barcelona and the central coast may see some of that rain on Saturday afternoon, and the southwest wind will pick up along the shore from Sunday.
The storms themselves are not expected to cross Catalonia directly. The Azores high and high pressure over North Africa act as a barrier, but the trailing ends of the weather fronts still reach the region and stir things up. Some days will bring heavier, more widespread rain, while on others it will be patchy and intermittent, and the forecast is being adjusted day by day.
A grey Saturday with light, on-and-off rain
Saturday, Nov. 14, is forecast to be cloudy with intermittent, light rain. It should start early in the western Pyrenees and the western inland counties (ponent), and in the afternoon it could reach several counties of the pre-coastal belt and the central coast, which includes Barcelona. In the far south, showers could turn heavier during the afternoon. The Girona area is expected to stay mostly dry.
Coastal and pre-coastal areas should have a murkier morning and more sunny spells later. Winds will be light, blowing from the southwest on the coast for much of the day, and temperatures will stay mild with little change.
Sunday and Monday: rain in the west, stronger garbí
On Sunday, rain returns to the west from the afternoon until late in the day and could reach parts of the central coast. A few drops are possible overnight in inland Girona. The western half will be overcast, with more clear spells in the northeast in the morning and around midday.
The garbí, the Catalan name for the southwest wind, will strengthen along the coast, reaching 35 to 40 km/h on the Costa Brava in the afternoon and at night. Morning lows will drop noticeably, while daytime highs hold steady.
Monday follows a similar pattern: afternoon rain in the far northwest, variable skies that never fully cloud over, and some sunshine later in the day. A moderate garbí keeps blowing, highs go up and lows stay about the same.
Tuesday brings the most widespread rain
Instability increases in the early hours of Tuesday, when a band of rain enters from the west and moves east through the morning. Showers and light rain will affect much of Catalonia, more general in the western half and more scattered in the east. By the afternoon the coast and pre-coastal areas should dry out, though rain will continue in the Pyrenees. Clouds will make sunny spells hard to come by. The garbí will blow above 40 km/h at both ends of the coast in the morning, and temperatures will rise slightly.
What it means for Barcelona residents this week
Wednesday is the calmest day of the week. Rain is expected only in the Pyrenees in the morning, with the odd scattered drop in the southern counties in the afternoon. Skies clear across much of Catalonia, and on the central coast a westerly wind will average 30 to 35 km/h all day. Highs of 20 to 21 °C are forecast in many coastal spots.
Unsettled weather returns on Thursday, with heavy showers in the western half from midday and thick cloud in the west all day. The garbí will be moderate and temperatures will fall. On Friday, rain is forecast for the Pyrenees and the Girona area, with some locally heavy showers, under mixed skies with mid and high cloud. Temperatures should stay similar as the week ends in full autumn conditions.
Source: go.eln.cat
