Spain braces for plummeting temperatures and more rain

Fall weather – even wintry in some parts of Spain – is right around the corner. The Spanish meteorology service AEMET is forecasting a significant change in temperatures due to “a mass of very cold air” that will enter the Iberian peninsula from the north on Friday.

Seville could be enjoying 20ºC on Saturday while Lugo might experience lows of 6ºC

Meteorologists said to expect very cold winds and “a significant drop in temperatures,” particularly over the weekend. While northern Spain will start feeling the effects on Friday, the temperature drop “will affect nearly all of Spain” by Saturday, said AEMET spokesman Rubén del Campo.

If the forecast is correct – it was made on Monday, meaning there is still a margin of uncertainty – temperatures could fall between 8ºC and 10ºC in the northern half of the peninsula. Eastern Spain will feel the change on Sunday, when thermometers will register drops of 4ºC to 5ºC.

Because the cold is expected to reach different parts of Spain on different days, Seville could be enjoying 20ºC on Saturday while Lugo, in the northwestern region of Galicia, might experience lows of 6ºC on the same day.

Elsewhere, Valladolid and Salamanca will see highs of 6ºC to 10ºC, while temperatures in León will reach no higher than 7ºC. Madrid can expect somewhere between 10ºC and 12ºC.

Rain and snow

The weather service is forecasting rain on Friday in the north of the peninsula, spreading to the rest of Spain and Portugal on Saturday. There is even a chance of snow in mountainous areas, at elevations of around 1,200 meters above sea level. Del Campo added that the strong winds will increase the feeling of cold in the Ebro valley, Catalonia and the Balearic Islands.

Eastern Spain has been experiencing extreme weather patterns in recent days. Torrential rains in Mallorca caused flash floods that killed 13 people and this was followed by a gota fría (“cold drop”) episode – strong rains and winds caused by the clash of a polar air front with warm Mediterranean air.

English version by Susana Urra.