Laurence Dollimore
WEATHER experts in Spain have sounded the alarm for this weekend as a so-called DANA is expected to roll in from the northeast.
The weather phenomenon is an isolated area of high depression that typically brings heavy showers and a drop in temperature.
According to weather service El Tiempo, the DANA will bring a ‘drastic change’ to the weather map from Friday, with some areas seeing the mercury fall by 10C thanks to a blast of cold air.
It said the DANA’s intensity still remains ‘highly uncertain’, but added it is expected to cross Spain from north to south, ‘spreading rain in many areas’.
It explains: “During the afternoon of Thursday, an Atlantic front will enter Galicia and advance eastwards across the peninsula on Friday.
“After this front, the cold will sneak in and invade the country at the weekend. This front will leave rain in its wake until it reaches the Mediterranean on Friday, where it will intensify.”
It said the ‘most abundant rain’ on Friday will occur in Galicia, the eastern Cantabrian Sea, the Pyrenees and parts of central Spain thanks to a high altitude trough.
It said it will intensify in the afternoon in Aragon, inland Cataluña and eastern Castilla-La Mancha.
It added: “A DANA is likely to emerge from this trough on Friday in the north of Spain. The uncertainty surrounding this system and its trajectory is still very high, but the latest update of the models predicts that it will cross the peninsula from north to south during the weekend.
“The DANA could reach the northwest of the peninsula late on Friday. During Saturday and Sunday it would advance southwards along the west of the peninsula until it exits through the Gulf of Cadiz, where it could remain on Monday of next week.”
According to current forecasts, the eastern coast, including Benidorm and Alicante, will see rain fall from Saturday and until Wednesday the following week.
The situation is the same for Malaga on the Costa del Sol, although it is expected to see rain from Friday.
In inland Andalucia, areas like Sevilla and Cordoba will see rainfall on Friday and Saturday.
They will also see huge drops in temperature, with Sevilla going from highs of 28C today to lows of 18C on Saturday.
Barcelona, meanwhile, will see rain the entire weekend, with the worst falling on Saturday, accompanied by storms, while highs will also drop to 18C.
Mallorca will see rain from Saturday and until Wednesday, according to current predictions.
