Spain’s weather agency AEMET expects strong winds and very high waves on Friday, 23 October 2026, along the Spain’s northern coast . The cause is the Atlantic Borrasca Austen, whose north-westerly to westerly winds are significantly increasing wave heights in the Cantabrian Sea. The publicly available marine forecasts from the Agencia Estatal de Meteorología report rough seas for Friday; forecasts agree that wave heights could reach around seven metres in exposed areas.
The areas most affected are the coastal stretches of Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country. AEMET warns of rough seas and coastal conditions there. The agency advises people to stay away from harbour breakwaters, seafront promenades and other exposed areas, and to follow official guidance. The Dirección General de Protección Civil y Emergencias reminds shipping and coastal communities of precautionary measures, such as coordinating arrivals and departures, securing facilities and following local alerts. On Thursday, local authorities in parts of northern Spain also warned of the danger posed by high waves.
At present, AEMET expects moderate to rough seas along Spain’s northern coast on Friday, with very rough seas at times, particularly offshore. Winds are expected to come mainly from the north-west to west, with gale-force gusts. Regional services may issue different, more detailed warning levels for some stretches of coast.
While the north is in the path of the storm, southern Spain will be much milder. Models suggest local temperatures of around 28 degrees Celsius there on Friday. This highlights the pronounced north-south contrast in Spain, which is meteorologically notable for this time of year. The causes are a low-pressure area over the Atlantic and warmer air masses over the south of the Iberian Peninsula.
The information is based on public forecasts from the Agencia Estatal de Meteorología and additional guidance from the state civil protection agency. Media reports confirm that the northern coast is expected to be worst affected and cite similarly high waves. As wind and sea conditions can change quickly, residents and travellers should follow official warnings closely on 22 and 23 October and comply with instructions from local authorities.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).