Polar Jet Of Cold Atlantic Air Could Bring ‘Violent Storms’ And Flooding To Parts Of Spain This Weekend

THE current heatwave that is affecting large parts of Spain is predicted to come to an abrupt end this weekend.

Temperatures have exceeded 40°C in many regions of the country this week combined with tropical, humid nights. All this will change according to the weather experts at Meteored this Thursday, August 24.

‘The polar jet will begin to present significant undulations in a few days and a trough will drop in the vicinity of the mainland, thus ending the current episode of very high temperatures’, it suggested on its website.

However, the heat is not ready to disappear completely yet in southern parts of Spain. Some parts of Spain experienced high temperatures this Thursday, as the experts pointed out in a tweet this morning.

They wrote: ‘ The fourth #heatwave of 2023 comes to an end. A descent through the north of the peninsula begins, but the heat will be very intense on the rest of the last day. Red warning for more than 42ºC in La Rioja and Zaragoza. It will be a stable day with storms in the Pyrenees and the Cantabrian’.

#ElTiempoHoy La cuarta #oladecalor de 2023 llega a su fin. Comienza un descenso por el norte peninsular, pero el calor será muy intenso en el resto un último día. Aviso rojo por más de 42ºC en la Rioja y Zaragoza. Será un día estable con tormentas en Pirineos y la Cantábrica. pic.twitter.com/eO4XmHZ962

— Eltiempo.es (@ElTiempoes) August 24, 2023

Later in the day, they updated the forecast to say: ‘The weather change is imminent due to the proximity of a trough. Rains in the Bay of Biscay and a temperature drop in the northern half of the peninsula, notable in Galicia and the rest of the northern third. The heat will still be felt in the south, with more than 40ºC in some regions’.

#ElTiempoMañana El cambio de tiempo es inminente por la cercanía de una vaguada. Lluvias en el Cantábrico y descenso térmico en la mitad norte peninsular, notable en Galicia y el resto del tercio norte. El calor aún se notará en el sur, con más de 40ºC en algunas regiones. pic.twitter.com/8HjxnA6Pj7

— Eltiempo.es (@ElTiempoes) August 24, 2023

When will there be a drop in temperatures?

According to the Meteored weather maps, a trough: ‘Could break up and become isolated from the jet stream, generating a DANA that would affect our territory, so we would be talking about very violent or extreme storms’, they warned.

They tweeted: ‘ The time change arrives. Rains in the Bay of Biscay and one #vaguada will cross the peninsula between Friday and Sunday, favoring storms that can be strong and with hail between Sunday and Monday in Catalonia, C. Valenciana and especially in the Balearic Islands’.

#ÚltimaHora Llega el cambio de tiempo. Lluvias en el Cantábrico y una #vaguada cruzará la península entre el viernes y el domingo, favoreciendo las tormentas que pueden ser fuertes y con granizo entre el domingo y lunes en Cataluña, C. Valenciana y sobre todo en Baleares. pic.twitter.com/K8gNQQl3u0

— Eltiempo.es (@ElTiempoes) August 24, 2023

However, they also pointed out that other predicted scenarios indicated that: ‘The cold air pocket would not end up breaking away’.

With the current prediction from the experts, the worst of these predicted storms could be concentrated: ‘in the northern half, and in points of the east and the Balearic Islands, without ruling out that they could affect more areas’. As a result, heavy showers could occur which would cause flash flooding in some regions, they explained.

A notable drop in temperatures is expected, especially if fresh air associated with the trough enters the atmosphere. ‘The good news is that temperatures will likely remain contained, and could even be below average for a few days in several regions’, said the meteorologists.

The cold mass could enter Spain between Friday and Sunday

The meteorological models of Eltiempo.es also showed that, from this Thursday, a trough would approach Spain, accompanied by: ‘A colder Atlantic air mass between Friday and Sunday could cause a temperature drop and an increase in instability’.

As a result of this scenario, it could rain throughout the day in the Cantabrian Sea on Saturday 26, while in the afternoon, storms could form in inland areas.

‘On Sunday, the trough could advance throughout the northern half of the mainland and the storms will then spread to other inland areas, accompanied by showers that can be locally strong’, they pointed out.