SWATHES of northern Spain are set to feel the freeze over the coming days after an orange weather alert was activated for heavy snowfall.
The warning, issued by Aemet, the state weather agency, covers much of the Basque Country, Cantabria and Asturias, with a lower yellow alert in place for areas of Aragon and Catalunya near the Pyrenees.
The snow line could fall to an altitude as low as 500 metres as a chilly Arctic air mass plunges temperatures across the peninsula.
Some elevated areas could be blanketed in over 30cm of snow in just 24 hours – with the cold snap forecast to linger until the end of the weekend.
According to Ruben de Campo, an Aemet spokesperson, temperatures are sitting between five and 10 degrees below normal for the time of year.
“It is expected that maximum temperatures will be below 10 degrees in large areas of the country, with the exception of the southwest and the coasts, where they will be slightly higher,” he said.
From Friday, very strong gusts are set to hit Spain’s north-east corner and the Balearic Islands, with warnings issued for choppy waters in the Mediterranean.
On Sunday, the mercury is forecast to finally climb back towards levels more usual for late autumn.
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