Torrential rains have flooded platforms in Sants and L'Hospitalet, with over 100 litres per square metre in just a few hours. Rodalies suspends service and El Prat airport accumulates delays of up to four hours.
An unprecedented episode of rain is paralysing Barcelona and its metropolitan area. Since 20:00 hours on Saturday, the intensity of the precipitation has caused flooding on several platforms at the Sants station, in the L'Hospitalet area, and in various points of the southern metropolitan area, where more than 100 litres per square metre have been recorded in just a few hours, as reported by elmundo.es.
The Meteorological Service of Catalonia (Meteocat) has raised the rain warning to the maximum danger level, 6 out of 6, for this Sunday in the regions of Tarragona, Barcelona, and Girona. The situation has led Civil Protection to request that all activities involving mobility be restricted in around twenty regions from this afternoon until Sunday.
Weather models indicate the formation of a convective mesoscale system, which could lead to a "Mediterranean mini hurricane", as explained by the director of Meteocat, Sara Sarroca, and the head of forecasting, Santi Segalà. This phenomenon would affect the coastline and pre-coast of the three provinces and could extend inland to Girona tomorrow.
"Stay at home". This is the message that the president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, has directed to the citizens of the affected regions.
The Generalitat has sent an ES-Alert to mobile phones along the Catalan coastline and pre-coast to warn of the restrictions, which are in effect from 20:00 on Saturday until 14:00 on Sunday. The affected regions are Alt Empordà, Baix Empordà, Alt Penedès, Baix Llobregat, Barcelonès, Garraf, Garrotxa, Gironès, Pla de l'Estany, Vallès Occidental, Vallès Oriental, Maresme, Selva, Alt Camp, Baix Camp, Baix Penedès, Osona, Ripollès, Tarragonès, and Moianès.
In terms of transport, Rodalies has suspended service until noon on Sunday, except in sections outside the risk area. Regional and medium-distance trains are also interrupted. The Barcelona metro will cease operations from 00:00 hours, while the Generalitat Railways stopped at 20:00 and will not resume, in principle, until 14:00 on Sunday.
The Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat airport is experiencing delays of up to four hours and several cancellations. Air traffic controllers have explained that the day is "very complicated due to the storms", which has forced spacing of traffic and reduced operations.
Due to the impossibility of returning home, several municipalities have set up reception centres. The Sants station will remain open all night for those who need to sleep there. Until midnight, the SEM has attended to around twenty affected individuals, none of whom are serious.
Shops have closed early, the housing protest in L'Hospitalet has been postponed, and theatrical performances at the Palau de la Música and the Liceu have been cancelled, as well as sporting events. Rainfall could exceed 40 millimetres in 30 minutes, 90 millimetres in 3 hours, and 200 millimetres in 24 hours in some areas.
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