Extreme weather warning across Spain

3 September 2004

MADRID – Warnings of torrential rain, hailstones and high winds in many parts of Spain were issued Friday by the Office for Civil Protection.

The extreme weather forecasts applied to Catalonia, the Basque Country, Castille y Leon, Navarre, La Rioja, Aragon, Madrid, Castilla-La Mancha, Valencia, Murcia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Balearic Islands.

In Catalonia, forecasters predicted up to thirty litres of rain per square metre could fall in an hour, particularly in Barcelona and Girona.

In the Basque Country, hailstones and squalls with similar heavy rainfalls were predicted.

In Castille y Leon, up to 30 litres of rain was forecast to fall in an hour with some hail.

Navarre in north-west Spain should expect up to 30 litres of rain per square metre in an hour, with hailstones and high winds.

Strong or ‘very strong’ squalls were expected in La Rioja.

In Zaragoza, Teruel and Huesca in Aragon province, more than 30 litres of rain per square metre was predicted to fall in an hour with heavy winds.

Madrid should expect heavy rain outside the capital with winds reaching up to 80kmh.

Similar weather was forecast for Castilla-La Mancha with hailstones up to one centimetre in size.

Alicante, Castellon and Valencia should expect up to 30 litres of rain per square metre in an hour.

Similar heavy rain was predicted for Murcia but it should ease later in the day.

In Minorca, high seas were predicted Friday and Saturday while in Majorca squalls and heavy rain were forecast.

In the east of Andalusia, heavy rains and squalls were predicted for Granada, Almeria and Jaen.

In Asturias and Cantabria, heavy rains and squalls were also expected.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news