Barcelona keeps parks closed and reviews 300 schools after the rains

The Barcelona City Council keeps all parks and gardens closed this Sunday while inspecting the 300 educational centres. The forecast is that most will reopen on Monday, after a storm that left 203 litres per square metre in Sants and 1,400 residents without power.

The municipal teams of Barcelona are working against the clock this Sunday to assess the damage from the rainstorm. The priority is to determine whether the parks and gardens can reopen on Monday and if the 300 educational centres in the city are in a condition to resume activities.

The mayor, Jaume Collboni, has explained that the forecast is for the vast majority of schools to open normally. The results of the inspections will be communicated to families at 8 PM this Sunday.

The decision to keep green spaces closed is based on a preventive criterion. After a heavy rainfall episode, fallen trees, damaged branches, or landslides can occur even when it is no longer raining. Municipal services are reviewing each area to rule out risks before allowing access.

"It has not caused any critical situation," Collboni noted regarding the flooding in the neonatal area of the Vall d'Hebron Hospital.

The episode has also affected the Vall d'Hebron Hospital, where the neonatal area has been flooded. The mayor has assured that activities will gradually return to normal.

In terms of electricity, around 1,400 people from nine neighbourhoods are still without supply. The City Council has demanded a "quick and immediate" solution from Endesa to restore power.

The rains have pushed the drainage system to its limits. The 15 rainwater reservoirs in the city have reached 100% of their capacity, and some have exceeded it. The council is gradually emptying them, starting with those in the upper part and then moving to those in the lower area.

The average precipitation in Barcelona has been 147 litres per square metre, although the maximum was recorded at the rain gauge in Sants, with 203 litres. By 7:30 AM, the Firefighters had received 903 calls and made 145 outings related to the storm.

The city now faces the verification phase. The evolution of these actions will determine whether the parks reopen, whether schools start normally on Monday, and whether affected residents regain the services that are still interrupted.