Fierce 100 kph winds to batter Spain

The unseasonably mild weather Spain has experienced lately has come to an abrupt end with the arrival of Storm Karlotta. 

The Ministry of the Interior’s General Directorate of Civil Protection and Emergencies, alongside forecasts from the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET), has issued an alert.

This warning signals a potent storm bringing high winds and heavy rainfall to both land and sea, which started on Wednesday, February 7.

Imminent threat to the Galician coast

The storm, named Karlotta, is set to unleash its initial impact on the Galician shores, with southwestern gusts anticipated to be exceptionally strong, alongside the onset of rainfall. This initial phase marks the beginning of a series of weather disturbances expected to sweep across the region.

Widespread impact across the peninsula

By Thursday, February 8, Karlotta’s reach will extend to the western half of the peninsula and the Western Pyrenees. Galicia is braced for the most intense and continuous downpours.

The northwest quadrant, particularly the Cantabrian mountain range and Galicia, will face gusts in excess of 100 km/h. The strong waves will especially affect the Galician coasts with waves that could reach up to 7 metres high. Other mountainous regions like the Pyrenees and the Iberian system also affected.

Storm Karlotta’s progression

The situation on Friday, February 9, sees the storm spreading its influence across nearly the entire peninsula, touching the Balearic Islands, Ceuta, Melilla, and the northern Canary Islands.

Galicia and the southwest peninsula, alongside the Pyrenees, are expected to record the highest rainfall. Although the wind will gradually weaken in the northwest, strong gusts are still forecasted for the Cantabrian range and Pyrenees.

Conversely, the southern coastlines, including the Atlantic and Mediterranean shores of Andalucia and Ceuta, will experience intensifying winds, leading to coastal storms in the Gulf of Cadiz, the Strait, and the Alboran Sea.

Saturday, February 10, promises a decrease in rainfall intensity, but it will linger in the Cantabrian area, eastern peninsula, Ceuta, Melilla, and the Balearic Islands.

The Ebro valley and Ampurdan will confront gale conditions, with strong gusts likely. The maritime disturbance persists in Alboran and extends to the Mediterranean, affecting eastern Andalucia, Melilla, southeast peninsula mountains, and the Balearic Islands.