Storms to bring rain and strong winds to Spain after balmy winter weather
After unseasonably warm temperatures in some parts of Spain over recent days, another new storm is set to hit on Friday, bringing a further spell of heavy rain and wind, and even snow and frosts to some parts of the country.
The arrival of a new storm is set to bring further heavy rain to parts of Spain, combining with another storm that hit the peninsula earlier in the week to end a period of unseasonably warm temperatures in some parts of the country.
Recent days have seen temperatures described by Spain's state meteorological agency (Aemet) as "anomalous" for the time of year, including 30C in the Canary Islands, 26C in Valencia and Alicante, and 22C in Huelva and Almería. Aemet experts believe these unusually high January temperatures, despite winds and rains, are due to a meeting of polar and subtropical air masses.
The high temperatures follow changeable weather across the counters for much of January, with heavy rains, strong winds and even snow in some parts of the country.
READ ALSO: Six essential ways to tackle winter like a true Spaniard
Storm Irene, which hit Spain earlier in the week, has affected the northwest of the country in particular, whereas storm Juan, if it moves as forecasts, will be centred on the southwest.
Spanish meteorologistsand academic Mario Picazo posted a map on Twitter/X which shows the effect of the two storms covering most of the country, stating:
"Two storms are approaching over the Atlantic over the next few days. Irene, arriving this Wednesday over the northwest peninsular and the potential storm Juan which is developing to the southwest of the Iberian peninsula and will arrive between Thursday and Friday."
Se acercan por el Atlántico dos buenas borrascas estos próximos días. #IRENE que llega ya este miércoles por el noroeste peninsular y la potencial borrasca #Juan que se está gestando al suroeste de la península Ibérica y llega entre jueves y viernes. #BorrascaIrene pic.twitter.com/CALY9xrWmr
— Mario Picazo (@picazomario) January 17, 2024
As the effects of storm Irene were felt across Spain on Wednesday, Aemet put 40 provinces and 15 regions on alert due to heavy rain and strong winds causing big waves on the Cantabrian and Mediterranean coasts, including gusts of over 100 km/h in the Picos de Europa mountain range, Cantabria, Galicia and areas of Cáceres.
Only Madrid and the Canary Islands have missed the storms so far.
Storm Juan
But storm Irene now looks set to be joined by the more powerful storm 'Juan' brewing in the Atlantic, which is set to hit Spain on Thursday or Friday and bring more heavy rain to the mainland.
If storm Juan does hit land as forecast, it will bring rains to the south-west, but also swathes of northern and central Spain, with fairly stable weather and strong gusts of wind forecast in the Mediterranean coastal areas.
There could even be snowfall at low altitudes in the northern regions of La Rioja and the Basque Country between 400 and 600 metres.
On Thursday, as the storm forms, strong winds will be the main effect felt in many parts of the country. Aemet has put out weather warnings for wind of up to 80km/h in mountainous ranges in the east, and gusts of between 50km/h and 70km/h are also expected along the coasts of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands.
Over the weekend the storm is forecast to move east, giving way to clearer skies, but temperatures could remain cold and wintry with frosts in inland areas of the peninsula.
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The arrival of a new storm is set to bring further heavy rain to parts of Spain, combining with another storm that hit the peninsula earlier in the week to end a period of unseasonably warm temperatures in some parts of the country.
Recent days have seen temperatures described by Spain's state meteorological agency (Aemet) as "anomalous" for the time of year, including 30C in the Canary Islands, 26C in Valencia and Alicante, and 22C in Huelva and Almería. Aemet experts believe these unusually high January temperatures, despite winds and rains, are due to a meeting of polar and subtropical air masses.
The high temperatures follow changeable weather across the counters for much of January, with heavy rains, strong winds and even snow in some parts of the country.
READ ALSO: Six essential ways to tackle winter like a true Spaniard
Storm Irene, which hit Spain earlier in the week, has affected the northwest of the country in particular, whereas storm Juan, if it moves as forecasts, will be centred on the southwest.
Spanish meteorologistsand academic Mario Picazo posted a map on Twitter/X which shows the effect of the two storms covering most of the country, stating:
"Two storms are approaching over the Atlantic over the next few days. Irene, arriving this Wednesday over the northwest peninsular and the potential storm Juan which is developing to the southwest of the Iberian peninsula and will arrive between Thursday and Friday."
Se acercan por el Atlántico dos buenas borrascas estos próximos días. #IRENE que llega ya este miércoles por el noroeste peninsular y la potencial borrasca #Juan que se está gestando al suroeste de la península Ibérica y llega entre jueves y viernes. #BorrascaIrene pic.twitter.com/CALY9xrWmr
— Mario Picazo (@picazomario) January 17, 2024
As the effects of storm Irene were felt across Spain on Wednesday, Aemet put 40 provinces and 15 regions on alert due to heavy rain and strong winds causing big waves on the Cantabrian and Mediterranean coasts, including gusts of over 100 km/h in the Picos de Europa mountain range, Cantabria, Galicia and areas of Cáceres.
Only Madrid and the Canary Islands have missed the storms so far.
Storm Juan
But storm Irene now looks set to be joined by the more powerful storm 'Juan' brewing in the Atlantic, which is set to hit Spain on Thursday or Friday and bring more heavy rain to the mainland.
If storm Juan does hit land as forecast, it will bring rains to the south-west, but also swathes of northern and central Spain, with fairly stable weather and strong gusts of wind forecast in the Mediterranean coastal areas.
There could even be snowfall at low altitudes in the northern regions of La Rioja and the Basque Country between 400 and 600 metres.
On Thursday, as the storm forms, strong winds will be the main effect felt in many parts of the country. Aemet has put out weather warnings for wind of up to 80km/h in mountainous ranges in the east, and gusts of between 50km/h and 70km/h are also expected along the coasts of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands.
Over the weekend the storm is forecast to move east, giving way to clearer skies, but temperatures could remain cold and wintry with frosts in inland areas of the peninsula.
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