Civil Protection has activated the alert phase of the INUNCAT plan due to the forecast of heavy rain along the coast of Tarragona and the south of Barcelona. Meteocat has expanded the warnings to 40 counties, 20 of them at orange level, with the peak expected on Thursday between 14:00 and 20:00 hours.
The Generalitat has activated the alert phase of the INUNCAT plan due to the forecast of torrential rain along the coast of Tarragona and the south of Barcelona, as reported by moncloa.com. This measure comes after a Tuesday of flooding in the central coast and with Meteocat expanding the warnings to 40 counties, twenty of which are at orange level.
The episode begins this Wednesday afternoon in the Montsià, Baix Ebre, and Terra Alta, with a danger level of 1 out of 6. The main event is expected on Thursday, October 1, when storms will spread along the coast of Tarragona and the south of Barcelona.
The most adverse period will be between 14:00 and 20:00 hours, with storms that could locally exceed 40 litres per square metre in half an hour in Catalunya Central. In the Terres de l'Ebre, the forecast indicates more than 90 litres per square metre in three hours.
The most intense precipitation is expected in Osona, Bages, and Moianès, as well as in the south of the country. In the afternoon, the risk decreases in the Pirineu and Prepirineu, although the Ebro maintains the alert until night.
The danger is not measured by how much it rains in an entire day, but by how much falls in half an hour over a ravine that no one is monitoring.
Meteocat has expanded the scope in its latest update: there are now 40 counties under warning and 20 at orange level. The main new development is the inclusion of the metropolitan region of Barcelona among the areas of highest risk, with orange warnings in Barcelonès and Maresme, while Baix Llobregat, Vallès Occidental, and Vallès Oriental remain at yellow.
The maximum danger level forecast is 4 out of 6, with local impact, according to the Servei Meteorològic de Catalunya. There is also orange in much of the Terres de l'Ebre, Camp de Tarragona, and Catalunya Central, as well as counties in Ponent and the northeast.
From midday on Thursday, precipitation may extend to any point in Catalunya, with hail and electrical activity locally. Most of the orange warnings will remain active for much of the day.
The instability will not leave on Thursday. During the early hours of Friday, rain will continue, especially in the Terres de l'Ebre, and Terra Alta, Baix Ebre, and Montsià will maintain the orange warning throughout the day. Showers are also not ruled out in parts of the Pirineu and, by the afternoon, in areas inland.
The precedent is recent. This Tuesday, an initial episode of torrential rain flooded the central Catalan coast, and now the focus shifts south. The Agència Catalana de l'Aigua (ACA) is focusing on rivers, streams, and ravines, especially in the Terres de l'Ebre, where the topography favours high water accumulations in a short time.
In the Pirineu, the lower rainfall accumulation in recent days would allow for better water infiltration, which initially reduces the hydrological risk. The Confederación Hidrográfica del Ebro is maintaining vigilance in the lower stretch of the river and does not anticipate significant impacts in the main course. However, sudden rises may occur in smaller streams and in the tributaries of both banks.
The recommendations from Protecció Civil are clear: avoid streams, ravines, fords, and underground passages, and do not cross any flooded area either on foot or by vehicle. A car floating in an underpass is an image that repeats every autumn in Catalunya.
The warning for hazardous weather from Meteocat will be in effect from this Wednesday at 14:00 until Friday at 14:00. The next review will come during the morning of Thursday and will confirm whether the metropolitan area of Barcelona maintains the orange warning or lowers it to yellow.
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