Storm Bernard triggers weather alerts in over 20 provinces in Spain

More than 20 provinces spanning eleven regions of Spain are on high alert as Storm Bernard sweeps into the country. The State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) has issued orange and yellow weather warnings for various areas, predicting adverse weather conditions, including strong winds, heavy rainfall, and high waves along the coastal areas.

Storm Bernard, which previously drenched Portugal, is now making its presence felt in Spain, entering the country from the southwest. As a result, the provinces of Cádiz and Huelva are under an orange alert due to the risk of strong winds. Additionally, these regions face significant threats from coastal phenomena.

Throughout Sunday afternoon, the storm unleashed intense rainfall and powerful gusts of wind in the southwestern part of the Iberian Peninsula. Several provinces, including Córdoba, Granada, Jaén, Málaga, Sevilla, Zaragoza, Mallorca, Ávila, Burgos, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Guadalajara, Toledo, Badajoz, Cáceres, Navarra, Álava, and Madrid, have been issued a yellow warning for strong gusts of wind.

Concerns about big waves have prompted yellow alerts in mainland provinces like Malaga, Cantabria, Guipúzcoa, and Vizcaya, as well as in Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura. The islands of Las Palmas, La Gomera, and El Hierro, along with the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, are also under yellow alerts, while La Palma is at an elevated orange risk for the same phenomenon.

Yellow warnings for heavy rainfall are in effect for Ávila, Salamanca, Badajoz, Cáceres, Huelva, and Madrid. Cloudy conditions are expected to prevail along the Atlantic coast, the Strait, and the Mediterranean region of Andalucia, with this weather pattern extending north-eastwards as the day progresses.

Experts anticipate substantial rainfall across the western third of Spain. Isolated thunderstorms could develop in central areas and the western regions of Extremadura and Andalucia. Rainfall is expected to be less intense in the northern and eastern parts of the country.

In the Pyrenees, snowfall is predicted at altitudes of approximately 1,700 metres, while in other mountainous areas, it may begin at 2,000 metres above sea level but with an inclination to rise to even higher levels.

Minimum temperatures are forecast to rise in the southwestern part of mainland Spain, and maximum temperatures are also expected to increase, except for the eastern edge of the northern plateau and Extremadura. Weak frosts may occur in the Pyrenees, with isolated frost occurrences possible in other mountainous regions in the northern half of the country.

The population is urged to exercise caution and stay informed about weather updates as Storm Bernard continues its path through Spain, bringing a range of meteorological challenges to different regions.