DANA Arrives, Shifting Spain’s Weather Pattern
Spain’s State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) has confirmed that a trough originating from the Atlantic will evolve into a DANA (an isolated high-altitude depression) on Friday, August 14th, and move rapidly towards the Iberian Peninsula. The arrival of this weather system will end Spain’s prolonged period of extreme heat but also signifies a sharp increase in atmospheric instability, putting the country in “thunderstorm mode.”
Starting Friday, Peaking Over the Weekend
The weather change will become apparent from the afternoon of Friday, August 14th. The first wave of thunderstorms is expected to form in Spain’s interior, particularly in the Iberian System mountain range and inland areas of the eastern peninsula, with a possibility of heavy rain and sudden strong winds in localized areas.
The impact and intensity will peak on Saturday, August 15th. From the early morning, precipitation will first appear in the Cantabrian Mountains, the Pyrenees, and the Iberian System. As daytime temperatures rise, thunderstorms will quickly spread across most of northern and eastern Spain.
Nine Regions on High Alert, Beware of Large Hail
AEMET has highlighted nine autonomous communities as areas of particular concern during this weather event. Among them, northern Aragon and northern Catalonia are considered the highest-risk areas for severe thunderstorms. Due to the dynamic path of the DANA, meteorological authorities emphasize that it is currently difficult to precisely predict the exact location of the storms.
One of the most concerning phenomena of this weather event is hail. Forecasts indicate that some strong convective clouds could produce large hailstones exceeding 2 cm in diameter, which are large enough to damage vehicles, building windows, and crops. Authorities advise the public to park vehicles indoors during thunderstorms, stay away from trees, billboards, and other objects that could fall, and avoid outdoor activities such as hiking in mountainous areas.
Unsettled Weather Continues Sunday, Stabilizing Next Week
On Sunday, August 16th, the unstable weather will continue to affect northern and eastern Spain. Regions including Navarre, La Rioja, Aragon, Catalonia, Valencia, Murcia, eastern Castile-La Mancha, eastern Andalusia, and the Balearic Islands will still experience thunderstorms, but the intensity of the rain in the northern regions is expected to weaken in the afternoon.
According to AEMET’s forecast, from Monday, August 17th, as the influence of the DANA system gradually subsides, Spain’s weather will stabilize again, with a significant reduction in widespread thunderstorms. Although temperatures will slowly rise, they are not expected to return to the recent scorching levels in the short term.
