Civil Protection confines 20 regions of Catalonia due to torrential rains

The ES-Alert has requested residents of 20 regions in Tarragona, Barcelona, Girona, Osona, and Moianès to stay indoors from eight in the evening. Over 200 litres per square metre are expected in six hours.

Mobile phones in 20 Catalan regions received an alert from Civil Protection on Saturday, shortly before 5:00 PM, urging the population to remain at home and avoid any travel from 8:00 PM. The measure affects the coastal and pre-coastal areas of Tarragona and Barcelona, the regions of Girona, and Osona and Moianès, as reported by elburgado.com.

The restriction includes the cancellation of outings to natural areas, the use of parks and gardens, outdoor sports, and any fairs, markets, or large public events. The forecast suggests that the situation will start to improve by midday on Sunday.

The expected episode is a mediterranean hurricane, capable of dropping more than 200 litres per square metre in just six hours, with strong gusts of wind and the risk of tornadoes and waterspouts. This was explained at a press conference by officials from the Meteorological Service of Catalonia (Meteocat) and Civil Protection.

The director of Meteocat, Sara Sarroca, and the head of forecasting, Santi Segalà, warned that the rain already falling over much of the territory could worsen significantly in the coming hours, turning into an exceptional episode. Hence the decision to halt activities before conditions deteriorate.

The halt forces the cancellation of one of the weekend's events, the Concurs de Castells de Tarragona. The deputy director of Civil Protection, Imma Solé, was emphatic in reminding that any event involving travel is off the table.

“Now is not the time”

The water is already causing incidents. Firefighters have received around twenty reports of flooding in just one hour in various parts of Barcelona, with the Inuncat plan activated since Friday, awaiting the worst to arrive tonight.

For residents in the affected areas, recommendations include not driving, staying away from streams and flood-prone areas, and following the guidance of official channels. The confinement will remain in place, in principle, until meteorological services declare the alert over.