After a surprisingly warm month of January in Spain, with temperatures reaching 30ºC in some places, something quite unusual for the time, it seems that it is about to change. The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) has published a prediction that many were eagerly awaiting: it is finally going to rain. This change brings to an end an unexpectedly dry and hot period that has depleted water reserves in many areas of the country.
Over the past few weeks, a strong ridge and strong anticyclone have kept any chance of precipitation at bay, creating what many have described as an early spring or even summer.
However, Aemet has announced that this scenario is about to change and return to normal. According to their predictions, the expected meteorological change will begin to be noticeable from Thursday the 8th to Sunday the 11th, with a widespread episode of rain that will affect all of Spain.
This phenomenon, known as an atmospheric river, will leave “very significant accumulations” of rain on the peninsular Atlantic coast, while areas of the Mediterranean coast and the Canary Islands will receive smaller amounts. This is good news, especially after three weeks without significant rainfall, which has put many sectors in check, especially agriculture.
Before this happens, the forecast for Saturday, February 3, shows slightly cloudy or clear skies in much of the country, although with the possibility of low morning cloudiness and some drizzle in specific areas such as Galicia, the Cantabrian Sea and other regions. In the Canary Islands, the mists will continue, although high cloud cover is expected to increase in the west.
As for temperatures, they are expected to remain high for the time of year, with a notable rise in the northern half of the peninsula and in the eastern interior. However, minimum temperatures will experience a sharp drop in areas such as the Ebro and the eastern Cantabrian Sea. Frost will be a reality in the Pyrenees, in the south of the peninsula, and dispersed in other mountains in the north and northeast.
