The high temperatures that Spain has been experiencing in recent weeks have ended up creating the breeding ground for a DANA, the most intense episode of which is being experienced this Saturday with practically the entire Peninsula and the Balearic Islands under the effect of rain, storms and strong gusts of wind.
The person responsible for this DANA in mid-August is an Atlantic trough that runs through the Peninsula from west to east, and which this Saturday afternoon will reach its greatest intensity.
The trough is an undulation of the polar air jet that transports colder air at altitude and drives the development of situations of atmospheric instability, especially when it enters after days of intense heat on the surface like the last ones that Spain has experienced, with maximums of 42 degrees in many parts of the country.
The instability began to be noticed this Friday night. Many towns in Castilla y León and Castilla-La Mancha experienced hail bursts up to three centimeters in diameter in municipalities such as Astorga (León), those in the Sierra de Gredos, in Ávila, or Nerpio (Albacete).
In Andalusia, in addition to the Granada earthquake, numerous municipalities experienced storms with strong electrical equipment. DANA has been especially noticeable in the provinces of Granada, Málaga and Córdoba, where some 900 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes have fallen, and the rain has left up to 25 liters per square meter in some points of those provinces last morning.
Unstable weather
Practically the entire Iberian Peninsula and the island of Mallorca are on notice this Saturday due to the risk of storms and associated phenomena, from which only the Cantabrian coast, Huelva and Cádiz will be spared.
Seven autonomous communities have an orange warning from the Aemet due to a significant risk of heavy rainfall: Aragón, Castilla y León, Catalonia, Navarra, the Basque Country, La Rioja and the Valencian Community, with accumulated rain in one hour that can exceed 40 liters per square meter in some points, in addition to the possibility of large hail (more than 2 centimeters) and very strong gusts of wind.
Another nine communities are on yellow notice this Saturday due to the risk of the same phenomena. They are Andalusia, Asturias, Balearic Islands, Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura, Galicia, Madrid and Murcia.
In the provinces of Teruel, Burgos, León, Palencia, Soria, Barcelona, Lleida, Tarragona, Navarra, Álava, La Rioja and Castellón, all of them under orange warning, the most intense showers are expected as the afternoon progresses, accompanied by very strong gusts of wind and, occasionally, hail.
The Ebro Hydrographic Confederation has warned this Saturday of the possibility of specific and sudden floods in ravines and minor channels in almost the entire river basin throughout the day.
Temperatures
The good thing is that the low-level subtropical air mass, warm, dry and with suspended dust that the Peninsula and the Balearic Islands suffered from, is being replaced by a cooler and cleaner one, giving rise to a progressive decrease in temperatures until they reach values more typical of these dates. The decrease has already been notable in the Peninsula and in the archipelagos, more pronounced in the interior maximums in the northern third, with notable drops (more than six degrees).
However, the minimum temperatures during the night will not drop below 20 degrees in large areas of the southern half, the northeast, the Mediterranean coasts and even the Cantabrian Sea. And in fact this Saturday there are still provinces on a heat warning, with a maximum of more than 36 degrees. This is the case of Pontevedra, Mallorca, Girona, Almería, Córdoba, Lleida, Huesca and Almería.
In the Canary Islands, the skies are also cloudy in the north of the most prominent islands, without ruling out some weak precipitation, but in general this community is not affected by the Atlantic trough.
Instability also this Sunday
The instability will extend to this Sunday, with the DANA located to the southwest of the Peninsula. Strong showers and storms are expected in the interior of the peninsula, or even very strong in the Pyrenees and the Betic and Iberian systems, accompanied by hail and very strong gusts of wind.
Maximum temperatures will rise across the board, especially in Galicia, and will drop in the southeast, Málaga, Huelva and the Canary Islands. 35 degrees will be exceeded in the southwest quadrant, the Balearic Islands, the depressions in the northeast and occasionally in the southwest of Galicia and on the Mediterranean coasts. The minimum temperatures will decrease across the board, except in Extremadura, where increases are expected; Even so, tropical nights will continue, without dropping below 20 degrees, in large areas of the southwest and the Mediterranean coasts.
Starting on Monday the 17th, the probability of widespread storms decreases and temperatures will rise, although without reaching previous values.
The difficult forecast of storm phenomena makes it advisable to stay informed at all times of the meteorological evolution, especially if you leave home or are going to drive, warns the General Secretariat of Civil Protection and Emergencies.
