LARGE swathes of Spain are bracing for a wave of unpredictable weather as the summer-like climate enjoyed across much of the country earlier this week beats a hasty retreat.
State meteorological agency Aemet have issued alerts for five different types of weather as a polar air mass pushes the mercury down across much of the Iberian Peninsula.
A band of heavy rainfall is making its way east towards the Costa Blanca and Balearic Islands, with yellow warnings issued from the Alicante coast to Jaen in inland Andalucia.
Up to 15mm of rain is forecast to fall every hour, with the alert in place from 2pm on Sunday afternoon until midnight.
The soggy conditions are also likely to be accompanied by thunderstorms.
Elsewhere, a wind warning is in place across Tarragona, where gusts could exceed a breezy 80km/h.
Blustery conditions are also likely in the north-eastern tip of Catalunya and the Balearic Islands.
The high winds sweeping across Spain are also set to whip up choppy conditions off the country’s coastlines.
An orange alert has been activated from Galicia in the west to the Basque country in the east for powerful waves crashing into Spain’s northern coast.
The swell could lay the foundations for breakers exceeding six metres in height.
Lower level yellow warnings for turbulent coastal conditions are also in place on the Costa del Sol, where waves could top three metres, Tarragona, the Balearics and the Canary Islands, where alerts are also active for strong winds.
The sudden drop in temperatures has even forced Aemet to issue warnings for snow, with 5cm of the white stuff expected to settle at altitudes above 900 metres near the Pyrenees mountain range.
But it’s not all doom and gloom, with significant portions of the country expected to continue to bask in sunshine – albeit at lower temperatures than normal for this time of year.
Expats living near the Portuguese border or in western Andalucia should expect clear skies, with the sunny weather drifting further north and east on Monday.
Warnings for wind, rain and choppy waves remain in place at the start of next week.
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