AEMET Weather Warnings: Potential for heavy rain and storms on Friday; schools are closed

The state meteorological agency AEMET has issued a series of weather warnings for the region for Friday 15th September as another band of potentially heavy rain and violent thunderstorms sweeps across the country. As a result, Xàbia’s CECOPAL has declared the risk to be great enough to order the suspension of classes tomorrow.

An ORANGE weather warning has been issued for the potential of heavy rain with a possible accumulation rate of 40mm/hour valid from midnight tonight (Thursday) until 2.00pm tomorrow afternoon (Friday). Toni Bolufer at MeteoXàbia has posted a similar warning on his Facebook page in which he calls for “a lot of caution, especially in the morning, because some models suggest the possibility of very heavy rain, torrential at times, which could result in the accumulation of between 100 and 200 litres in some areas”.

Then, from 2.00pm until midnight tomorrow, the risk drops to YELLOW until midnight, at any point between between those hours, there is a 40%-70% probability of intense rainfall with accumulations of up to 20mm in one hour.

There are also two complimentary YELLOW weather warnings valid from midnight tonight until midnight tomorrow which advises of a 40%-70% probability of intense rainfall with accumulations of up to 80mm in 12 hours which could be accompanied by thunderstorms, hail and very strong gusts of wind.

On its Facebook page, the Climatology Department at the University of Alicante have also confirmed that a small wave at height will cross our region during Friday which will result in storms developing which could be locally very intense, especially along the coast and particularly during the first part of the day. It adds that September is a notoriously difficult month to forecast as any atmospheric situation could produce very strong and extremely irregular downpours.

Xàbia’s Operational Coordination Centre for Local Emergencies (CECOPAL) met on Thursday afternoon to analyze the AEMET weather warning as well as a similar warning issued by the Emergency Coordination Centre of the Generalitat Valenciana to assess the different scenarios and be prepared to deal with possible heavy rainfall. A decision on whether schools should open on Friday will be made on Thursday evening and will be communicated on all official channels of the Ayuntamiento de Xàbia.

UPDATE: A meeting of CECOPAL on Thursday evening determined that the risk was great enough to CLOSED all schools in Xàbia as a precautionary measure.

NOTE: The issue of these warnings doesn’t mean that these severe conditions will definitely affect us; they could be locally intense in some places but not affect other places just a few kilometres away. However, the forecasts do suggest that there is a potential risk that they may happen and that the population should be aware and make the necessary preparations (see below).

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 summer 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 always consider the worst-case scenario. It is good advice to prepare a flood plan with a list of useful contact numbers (local council, utility providers, insurance company) as well as an emergency flood kit which should contain emergency cash and credit cards, medication and prescriptions, insurance documents and other important paperwork. It is always a good idea of getting in the habit of keeping important documents or sentimental items off the floor and consider storing in a waterproof container.