Eastern Spain is preparing for torrential rain and potentially damaging flooding as a Dana weather system moves over the warm Mediterranean, with Valencia and Castello de la Plana among the areas most at risk.
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Key facts
- Up to 300mm of rain could fall in some areas, with more than 100mm forecast across the region on Friday.
- The storms are driven by a Dana, a pattern where cold upper air meets warm, humid Mediterranean air.
- Valencia and Castello de la Plana are considered most at risk.
- Catalonia has placed three towns under lockdown and Valencia has shut schools for nearly half a million children.
Torrential rain and potentially damaging flooding are forecast across eastern Spain over the coming days, according to the Guardian. The downpours are being driven by cold upper air moving over the warm, humid surface air of the Mediterranean Sea, fuelling violent, slow-moving thunderstorms near Spain’s east coast.
The weather pattern, known as a Dana, occurs most often in autumn. Forecast models show more than 100mm of rain could fall across the region on Friday, with 200-300mm possible in some areas, the Guardian reported.
Cities including Valencia and Castello de la Plana are considered most at risk. Valencia has experienced several damaging floods in recent years, leaving the region particularly sensitive to further extreme rainfall.
Authorities have already taken precautionary measures. Catalonia has put three towns under lockdown, while Valencia has shut schools for nearly half a million children, according to the Guardian.
The same report noted that extreme downpours have brought deadly landslides to Nepal, underlining the wider pattern of intense rainfall affecting different parts of the world.
The slow-moving nature of the thunderstorms increases the risk of large amounts of rain falling over the same areas in a short period, which can overwhelm drainage and waterways and lead to rapid flooding.
Why it matters
Eastern Spain has suffered repeated damaging floods in recent years, so forecasts of up to 300mm of rain raise serious concerns for public safety. The precautionary school closures and town lockdowns show authorities are treating the threat as significant for hundreds of thousands of residents.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Dana weather pattern?
According to the Guardian, a Dana occurs when cold upper air moves over the warm, humid surface air of the Mediterranean Sea, fuelling violent, slow-moving thunderstorms. It happens most often in autumn.
How much rain is expected in eastern Spain?
Models show more than 100mm of rain could fall across the region on Friday, with 200-300mm possible in some areas, the Guardian reported.
What precautions have authorities taken?
Catalonia has put three towns under lockdown and Valencia has shut schools for nearly half a million children.
Timeline
- Eastern Spain braces for torrential rain and flooding
The Guardian World: Up to 300mm of rain could fall in places, while extreme downpours bring deadly landslides to Nepal Torrential rain and potentially damaging flooding are forecast in eastern Spain over the coming days, as cold upper air moves over the warm, humid surface air of the Mediterranean S