Spain’s weather agency Aemet has issued official warnings for the east of the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands from Thursday, 1 October 2026, for heavy to very heavy showers and thunderstorms. The areas affected are mainly Catalonia, with Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands. Yellow or orange warning levels apply, depending on the area. According to the latest assessment, the weather situation could last until Monday, 5 October.
The Secretaría General de Protección Civil y Emergencias is basing its nationwide warning on Aemet’s forecasts. It urges people in the affected regions to take particular care and recommends following local advice, avoiding low-lying areas, underpasses and ramblas at risk, and postponing journeys into areas prone to flooding. Municipalities in the Valencian Community say they are preparing preventive restrictions, for example at particularly exposed school sites.
Meteorologically, the passage of a frontal system and the inflow of cold air at mid-levels, combined with very moist Mediterranean air, are creating an unstable atmosphere. This can lead to high rainfall rates over a short period. Aemet warns that significant amounts of rain could accumulate within a few hours. Services are monitoring the provinces of Valencia and Castellón, where model runs indicate that locally very high 12-hour totals are possible.
Facts and attribution: On 1 October, Aemet published official warnings for Catalonia, the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands. On this basis, the Secretaría General de Protección Civil y Emergencias issued a warning for the eastern part of the country and the island group. Both authorities stress that forecasts of the precise distribution of the heaviest rainfall remain uncertain and that small shifts in the systems can produce major local differences.
Impacts and advice: Flash flooding of smaller watercourses, flash floods in ramblas, overwhelmed urban drainage systems and traffic disruption are possible. Authorities advise people to follow weather and traffic updates closely, avoid underground car parks during heavy rain, respect road closures and stay away from riverbeds. Thunderstorms may also bring gusts and heavy seas in coastal areas.
Forecast: Conditions could persist until Monday. Aemet reserves the right to extend or adjust the warning levels; updates will be published on an ongoing basis.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).