This year’s Holy Week looks quite different from what many would expect in terms of meteorology. According to the latest predictions from the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet), a sharp drop in temperatures and prolonged showers are expected for much of the week. So, it seems that, from the beginning, the weather will decide to play an important role in the festivities.
Starting on Palm Sunday, the forecast is clear: it will be a cooler and more humid environment than usual. The cause of this abrupt change in weather is a DANA, an atmospheric phenomenon that, after moving from the Canary Islands towards the peninsula, will bring showers and possibly storms to the south of the country with the sunset.
This rainy start will last until Holy Monday, mainly affecting the south and east of the peninsula, as well as the Balearic Islands, and will leave a fairly wintery panorama with the arrival of a mass of cold air that will cause snowfall at levels between 600 and 1,000 meters.
As the week progresses, temperatures will continue to drop, especially noticeably on Tuesday, thus saying goodbye to the warm days experienced during the last two weeks. That day, although the rains will persist, they are expected to be less intense on the Mediterranean coast, while heavy snowfall and below-average temperatures will be recorded in the Pyrenean mountains.
However, the weather will give a brief respite on Wednesday, with a slight rise in temperatures, especially in the southwest, a trend that will continue until Holy Thursday. This change, however, will be ephemeral, since on Good Friday a new front will bring more rainfall, affecting most of the territory, with the exception of some Mediterranean areas and the Balearic Islands.
The forecast for the Easter weekend remains uncertain, but the unstable weather is expected to continue, leaving a trail of rain that will extend even to the Canary archipelago. Therefore, it seems that it will be impossible to enjoy an Easter with good weather.