Laurence Dollimore
TEMPERATURES across Spain will see a significant drop this weekend, meteorologists have warned.
According to state weather agency Aemet, the mercury will fall by between 6C and 8C, and in some areas even 10C.
Meanwhile, snow is expected to fall in some mountainous zones that are 1,200m above sea level.
Aemet spokesman Ruben del Campo called for ‘great caution’ in southern Cataluña, Valencia, Murcia and the Balearic Islands, where heavy rain and storms are forecast for the weekend.
Aragon, the east of Castilla-La Mancha and Madrid will also see showers.
The rest of the peninsula is now expected to have more stable weather.
READ MORE: Spain braces for dreaded ‘DANA’
In Andalucia, including inland areas and the Costa del Sol, the forecast no longer expects rain on Saturday on Sunday – but that could change next week as a DANA is expected to form.
On Friday, an Atlantic front will move across the peninsula from west to east, bringing widespread rain, especially in the far north, and snow in the mountains from as low as 1,200m.
Temperatures will drop significantly, especially in Galicia, the Cantabrian Sea, Castilla y Leon, with day-to-day differences of up to 8C.
Areas like Lugo, Leon or Avila will see highs of just 12C.
In contrast, the weather will remain warmer in Girona, Murcia and Valencia, where temperatures will reach 25C.
However the cold snap will move eastwards on Saturday, bringing showers to Cataluña and the Balearics, and snow in mountains in the far north.
It comes after weather experts yesterday 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.”
