Spain’s weather agency Agencia Estatal de Meteorología (AEMET) activated severe weather warnings for rain and thunderstorms across much of the country on 28 September 2026. According to official information, a total of twelve autonomous communities are affected. In Catalonia an orange alert (peligro importante) was issued locally because very high rainfall totals are possible in a short period.
For parts of the Prepirineo and the Litoral and Prelitoral areas of the province of Barcelona AEMET forecasts hourly peaks of up to 40 litres per square metre; significantly higher accumulations over several hours cannot be ruled out. Warnings are staggered by area and, in some places, remain in force until 29 September. The regional service Servei Meteorològic de Catalunya (Meteocat) confirms the situation and specifies the affected areas in Barcelona, Tarragona, Girona and Lleida with its own time windows.
Authorities point to typical effects of severe thunderstorms: localised flooding in low-lying urban areas, water accumulating in underpasses, aquaplaning risks and disruption to road and rail transport. The Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT) recommends postponing non-essential journeys during orange alerts, particularly at night and on routes near the coast, river courses or slopes. Locally high lightning activity may also cause temporary power cuts and disruption to mobile networks.
The expected intensity levels are based on official warning maps and forecasts from AEMET, as well as regional notices from Meteocat. Whether and where the heaviest rainfall occurs depends in the short term on the paths of convective cells and local intensification; both services say their warnings are being updated continuously. In Spain, heavy rain is defined according to the usual threshold, under which very high amounts can fall within an hour.
The change in weather brings the preceding heatwave, which had characterised late summer in many places, to an end. The immediate news is the new warnings activated for 28 September and their extension to a total of twelve communities, including the upgrade to orange in parts of Catalonia. AEMET and Meteocat are publishing further regional details throughout the day on their official channels.
Editor: Andreas M. Brucker (Article created with AI assistance).