The Servei Meteorològic de Catalunya (Meteocat) expects good to very good visibility across much of Catalonia on Wednesday, 12 August 2026, for the Solar eclipse. At the same time, the service warns that low clouds may form in the southern third of the region from late afternoon into the evening—precisely where the eclipse will be visible as total in Südkatalonien . This cloud cover could locally affect viewing.
According to the forecast, bands of high cloud will move in from the south-west during the afternoon. Along the coast and in the southern interior, warm, humid weather will favour the formation of low cloud. Meteocat describes Wednesday as hot, with pronounced mugginess along the coast. In the mountain areas—in the Pirineu and Prepirineu —showers and thunderstorms are expected. Outside these areas, visibility conditions are generally good to excellent, according to the forecast.
The area where the solar eclipse reaches its peak extends across the southern third of Catalonia; to the north, the Sun will be only partially obscured. In the metropolitan area of Barcelona the Sun is currently expected to be almost completely, but not totally, obscured. In the south, the short-term development of low cloud in the hours before sunset will be crucial to visibility at the peak of the eclipse.
Regardless of cloud cover, Meteocat highlights the heat stress. Winds will pick up regionally during the day, without substantially changing the overall visibility forecast. The weather remains changeable; showers and thunderstorms are expected mainly in the northern mountain ranges, while conditions will generally remain favourable elsewhere.
On Tuesday, Protecció Civil had already placed the Inuncat flood and heavy-rain plan on pre-alert because of a forecast of intense showers. The areas affected were mainly the Pirineu, the Prepirineu and parts of the Girona hinterland, with the alert in force from the afternoon until Wednesday night. At the same time, the authorities expected mostly good to very good visibility of the celestial event across the rest of Catalonia.
These assessments are based on the latest Meteocat situation reports and official guidance from the Catalan civil protection authority. Although the overall forecast is favourable, the risk of low coastal cloud remains a key factor in the southern areas where the solar eclipse reaches its peak.
Editor: Andreas M. Brucker (Article created with AI assistance).