CATALUNYA’S weather service has issued a severe orange alert across the coastline as torrential storms threaten to dump 40mm of rain in just 30 minutes.
The regional meteorological agency, Meteocat, upgraded its warnings on Tuesday afternoon following a complex shift in atmospheric instability.
Experts have classified the incoming downpours as a level four out of six on the danger scale.
The severe orange alerts cover the entire Mediterranean front from the Emporda down to the Ebre delta, including the expat hotspots of Barcelona and the Baix Llobregat.
Inland western areas around Lleida, known as the Ponent, are also bracing for strong local storms.
Authorities are urging the public to take extreme precautions because the fresh deluge will fall on land already completely saturated by recent extreme weather.
Proteccio Civil, Catalunya’s civil protection agency, is maintaining its flood emergency plans until the stormy episode passes.
Spain’s national weather agency, Aemet, warned that the highly unpredictable conditions will last until at least Thursday.
Yellow alerts for rain are currently active across the southern third of the territory and will spread further along the coast on Wednesday.
By Thursday, the weather warnings will expand to include high winds and dangerous sea conditions, creating severe hazards for open-water sea swimmers and beachgoers.
Forecasters hope the heavy showers will finally reduce to isolated incidents by the weekend as atmospheric stability returns to the region.
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