The Generalitat of Catalonia has taken a new step in light of the worsening weather forecasts and has sent this Saturday a ES-Alert to the mobile phones of the affected areas to warn of the restrictions that will come into effect starting at 8:00 PM. The Govern has decided to limit mobility in 20 counties of the coastal and pre-coastal areas of Tarragona, Barcelona, and Girona until 2:00 PM on Sunday, coinciding with the hours when the most dangerous phase of the storm is expected. During that same period, sports, cultural, and leisure activities will be suspended, as well as those taking place in parks, urban gardens, and natural spaces.
The episode has forced the activation of the Inuncat plan in emergency phase, while the Servei Meteorològic de Catalunya (Meteocat) has raised the precipitation intensity warnings to the maximum level, 6 out of 6, in 17 counties. Protecció Civil warns that the situation may worsen especially during the night of Saturday and the early hours of Sunday, with storms capable of dropping more than 40 liters per square meter in just 30 minutes, exceeding 90 liters in three hours, and accumulating more than 200 liters in some areas during the episode.
From Tarragona to Girona passing through Barcelona
The restrictions affect a wide area that extends from Baix Camp to Alt Empordà, including the coastal and pre-coastal areas of Barcelona, Moianès, Osona, and all the counties of Girona. The Terres de l'Ebre, which have already suffered some of the highest accumulations in recent days, are excluded from this new specific area of restrictions, although they remain under surveillance due to soil saturation and the risk of new floods.
Protecció Civil urges avoiding all non-essential travel and staying away from streams, ravines, and flood-prone areas. The recommendation is particularly important because the storm will reach the most populated areas of Catalonia in the coming hours. Barcelona and its metropolitan area, Maresme, the two Vallès, and a large part of Girona are among the areas where the risk is highest, and the City Council of the Catalan capital has once again activated its Municipal Emergency Action Plan due to insufficient drainage.
Barcelona prepares for another night of heavy rains
The alert comes after a particularly complicated week in Barcelona and its metropolitan area. Last Tuesday, September 29, torrential rains caused significant mobility problems, affecting Rodalies, partial interruptions on several metro lines, flooded roads, and delays and cancellations at El Prat airport. In some areas around the Catalan capital, more than 90 liters per square meter were recorded, while garages, shops, and streets were flooded.
In light of the new episode, the City Council has recommended checking roofs and drains, removing objects that could be swept away by water, avoiding basements and low-lying areas during storms, and exercising extreme caution while driving. It also advises against crossing flooded roads or streets even if they appear to have little depth, as the current can rise quickly.
The difference compared to the storms at the beginning of the week lies in the possibility that now the precipitation will be more organized and persistent. The models handled by Meteocat contemplate the formation of a mesoscale convective system, known by its acronym SCM, a grouping of storms capable of persisting for several hours over the same region and generating large amounts of rain, strong gusts of wind, and locally severe phenomena.
What is the "Mediterranean mini-hurricane" that Illa warns about
The president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, has called for "maximum caution" and has publicly spoken about the possibility of a "Mediterranean mini-hurricane." "This is not a joke," he warned, urging the population to respect the indications of emergency services during the afternoon of Saturday and Sunday.
The term "mini-hurricane" is not, however, an official meteorological category for this episode. Meteocat is mainly monitoring the possible formation of a mesoscale convective system, which can produce very severe effects but is not necessarily a hurricane or a tropical cyclone. The risk comes from the ability of these storms to organize, regenerate, and release extraordinary amounts of water over relatively small areas, sometimes accompanied by strong gusts of wind, hail, waterspouts, or tornadoes.
More than 200 liters after several days of bad weather
Catalonia also reaches this new phase with some areas especially hard hit. During Friday, L'Ametlla de Mar accumulated 246.9 liters per square meter, Les Cases d'Alcanar recorded 231.7 and Mas de Barberans reached 226.7. In El Perelló, almost 155 liters were collected in just three hours. The precipitation caused flooding, road closures, railway problems, and thousands of users affected by power supply interruptions in the south of Tarragona.
Since the beginning of the episode, the Bombers de la Generalitat have carried out more than 300 actions related to the rains and the emergency phone 112 has received hundreds of calls. Although no serious incidents related to this new phase of the storm had been reported by Saturday afternoon, emergency services insist that the greatest risk is still to come.
The saturation of the soil is particularly concerning. After several days of precipitation, the absorption capacity is lower and a new intense storm can more quickly cause overflow of streams, urban accumulations, and landslides. Protecció Civil has summarized the situation in the Terres de l'Ebre with a clear expression: "it rains on wet ground".
What is suspended from 8:00 PM
The measures will be in effect, in principle, from 8:00 PM on this Saturday, October 3, until 2:00 PM on Sunday, October 4. During that period, mobility is restricted in the 20 counties included in the resolution and activities that may increase the population's exposure to the storm are suspended. Among them are sports, cultural, and leisure activities, as well as access and activities in natural spaces, parks, and urban gardens.
The Generalitat asks to stay at home whenever possible and to avoid unnecessary travel, especially during the night and early hours of Sunday. The most delicate moment is around midnight, although the evolution will depend on where the storm centers end up forming and moving. Meteocat predicts that the situation will begin to improve gradually during the afternoon of Sunday.
An ES-Alert for the most populated areas
The sending of the ES-Alert allows Civil Protection to send a message directly to mobile phones connected to the antennas located within the affected areas. It is not necessary to be previously registered or to have a specific application. The notice seeks for residents and visitors to be aware of the restrictions even if they are not following the media or the official emergency accounts.
The Generalitat has chosen this time to advance the measures in the face of a scenario it considers potentially exceptional. Barcelona, a good part of its metropolitan area, the coast of Tarragona, and the regions of Girona face from tonight the hours of greatest risk, with the still recent memory of the floods recorded during the week and with land that in numerous points is already saturated. Until 2:00 PM on Sunday, the main instruction is to minimize mobility and avoid any activity that may expose the population to a sudden rise or a severe storm.