Around 1,000 mm rainfall in Barcelona so far in 2018

It is no doubt that 2018 will be an exceptional one in terms of rain in Catalonia –the unusual several episodes of torrential rain across the country during the year and the countless disruptions caused probably make it unnecessary to check statistics to confirm it.

Yet having a look at the data, one can see to what extent this year is unusual:

Up to 2,000 mm in the Pyrenees

In Espot, a ski resort in the Pyrenees, more than 2,000 mm have fallen so far this year, while in 2017 another place in the same mountain range, Lac Redon, topped the rankings with 1,538 mm.

This comparison gives the same results across the country –for instance in Barcelona.

In the Catalan capital, some unofficial weather stations take the figure above 1,000 mm in 2018 so far.

Fabra Observatory, the oldest and most iconic astronomical observatory in the city, is on the verge of reaching 1,000 mm.

Not far from all-time record in Barcelona

The all-time record could be broken this year if there is a day as rainy as Thursday in the Fabra Observatory (with 140 mm), as 1971 is leading year in the ranking with 1,122 mm. In 2017, the rainfall was just above 500 mm.

 

El darrer episodi de pluja a l’Observatori Fabra deixa l’acumulat anual ben a prop dels 1000 mm. Fixeu-vos en la gràfica la comparativa amb l’any passat, l’any 1971 (el més plujós) i la mitjana climàtica @alfons_pc @RACABarcelona pic.twitter.com/BBltliCesv

— Meteocat (@meteocat) November 16, 2018

Levels above northern European capitals

The most surprising fact of the figures might be that Barcelona is set to have an overall rainfall far higher than the likes of Paris, London, Berlin and Oslo last year –some of the cities Catalans tend not to visit without an umbrella close by.

The French capital saw 747 mm of rain falling in 2017, with Berlin at 831 mm and southern England at 742 mm (London’s average is around 600 mm.) In Oslo, the rainfall was 729 mm from November 2017 to October 2018.

Yet there is room for more water in Barcelona, as for instance the average rain in northern Scotland –in 2017 was 1,712 mm.