AEMET Weather Warning: Potential for heavy rain and storms on Tuesday
Although it is Murcia and Almeria that are likely to see the heaviest rain, our region could see locally intense downpours at times.
Monday 22nd May 2023
Mike Smith
The state meteorological agency AEMET has issued a YELLOW risk warning for the potential of heavy and intense periods of rain accompanied by thunderstorms throughout Tuesday across the south-eastern corner of Spain, including the Costa Blanca.
There is a 40-70% probability of intense and persistent local downpours through the region with a potential accumulation rate of 30mm per hour and up to 80mm in 12 hours. This is valid from midnight tonight (Monday) to 08:00 Wednesday morning. These could be accompanied by thunderstorms which might produce hail.
Update 22/05 14:00: The advisory for the southern area of the Costa Blanca has been updated to ORANGE risk warning for very heavy downpours valid from 16:00 Tuesday to 05:00 Wednesday morning.
The Climatology Laboratory at the University of Alicante has also published details of a DANA (an isolated atmospheric depression at high levels) that has dropped in the Gulf of Cádiz and will advance towards the Alborán Sea, forming a low that will drive easterly winds towards the south east of the Iberian peninsula. This will potentially result in widespread rain across the Mediterranean coast which could be locally heavy or very heavy downpours. The area which is likely to be affected most will be the Región of Murcía and the province of Almería which may see potential accumulations of more than 200mm. In our area, they say that there are likely to be locally intense downpours and that it is also likely that the instability will last for the rest of the week.
Remember: these warnings don’t mean that the situation is certain to happen in our area but that the forecast models suggest that the probability is high. In some cases, some areas receive intense rain whilst others, just a few kilometres away, experience nothing.
Be prepared.
If you have time, check your drainage system as guttering can often become blocked by leaves and other debris, especially over the recent few months when we have had very little rain.
It’s also worth checking the seals around doors and windows. Silicon can degrade over time, especially in the high temperatures that are often experienced here in Spain.
Don’t forget to bring in cushions and stack chairs and sunbeds safely in a corner. Intense downpours can often be accompanied by strong gusts of wind so it’s best to be prepared rather than spend time searching for cushions, etc. across the local neighbourhood.
If you live in a low-lying area or a zone which is prone to flooding, you should prepare for the worst-case scenario. Keep important documents or sentimental items off the floor and consider storing in a waterproof container.
