The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) has updated its forecast for the Christmas Eve and Christmas holidays, revealing a meteorological panorama that differs considerably from the most common expectations.
The forecast details mostly anticyclonic winter weather in the Peninsula and the Balearic Islands, with clear skies but accompanied by low morning and night cloudiness, which could result in mists and dense fogs in several regions, such as the Plateau, Atlantic valleys and the Balearic Islands.
Meanwhile, in the Canary Islands, the forecast includes cloudy intervals and possible light rains. In addition, a decrease in maximum temperatures is expected on the Atlantic slope and an increase in the north and east, especially in the Pyrenean area. Frost will be a constant in the Pyrenees, the northern plateau and the east of the southern plateau.
The wind will be another relevant protagonist, with winds forecast from the southwest in several regions, including Galicia and the Cantabrian Sea, and from the west in the Strait of Gibraltar and Alboran. In the Canary Islands, a change to the northeast is expected. These winds will bring a colder environment, but no snowfall is expected. Although temperatures will drop considerably, Christmas will not be white in terms of snow.
The current AEMET models confirm that during December 24 and 25, clear skies will predominate in almost the entire national territory, although low temperatures will be the general trend in the Peninsula and the Balearic Islands. Precipitation is expected to decrease in the Cantabrian Sea and the Pyrenees, but fog will be a constant in the Northern Plateau and other areas, also extending to the Southern Plateau.
On the other hand, Aemet has reported that the anticyclonic weather conditions of these days could have an impact on air quality in important urban centers such as Madrid, Barcelona, ??Seville or Valencia. In this sense, Aemet has warned about the possibility of thermal investments that could increase pollution levels in these cities.
In the Canary Islands, the formation of a small DANA could lead to showers and, curiously, snowfall in the archipelago. On the contrary, higher temperatures will be reached on the Mediterranean coast, reaching 20ºC in some areas.
Finally, after the holidays, the forecasts indicate the persistence of anticyclonic weather, although with the arrival of new Atlantic fronts at the end of December. Despite the current uncertainty, AEMET experts do not rule out a change in the weather pattern for the beginning of the new year.
