weather

Public urged to take precautions as temperatures due to rise over 40 degrees in some places with hot weather forecast until Sunday

Minor disruptions as authorities issue alert for severe weather

Figure far higher than usual –and also above the likes of Paris, Berlin, Oslo, southern England in all 2017

Authorities expect rain to be especially heavy in the north and south of the country and urge caution in large urban areas

Meteorological conditions can alter our state of mind and behavior, says top Catalan psychiatrist

Roads cut off and rivers overflow after storm hits Catalonia

High temperatures in first half of August cause deaths of 13 men and 10 women

Rain could drop up to 40 liters per square meter in half an hour

Maximum temperatures reached up to 40°C in five days alert was in place

Temperatures surpass 40°C in many parts of Catalonia over scorching weekend

Many areas south of Barcelona flooded, as authorities warn that total rainfall could reach 70 liters

Some areas are to apply for government aid after heavy storm leaves thousands of euros damage in its wake

Snow chains necessary on some roads, warned Catalan Traffic Service

The flatlands in the counties near the city of Lleida (‘Pla de Lleida’ in Catalan) are probably the least touristy area of Catalonia and are known for having fog during most of the winter. Now this area located in western Catalonia is trying to reverse the negative view that this meteorological phenomenon implies. Tourism entrepreneurs have created a website promoting fog, with the slogan “Think positive, think fog”, and have now organised two walking routes through the countryside, visiting different villages and heritage monuments.

Some roads have been blocked for a few hours and thousands of children had their schools shut down for the day. These have been the main effects of a small snowstorm that covered most of Catalonia during Wednesday morning. Catalonia has a wide diversity of landscapes, combining alpine mountains with river deltas, flat agricultural plains with rocky coasts, hills covered by forests with sandy beaches. This diversity is concentrated in an area the size of Belgium, which results in a wide diversity of climates. In the Pyrenees, snow is present for most of the winter, but this is not the case for the rest of Catalonia. In the flatlands around Lleida or in hilly areas of Girona or the northern part of Barcelona Province, it tends to snow at least once per year, but not in the rest of the country, where it only snows once every 4 or 5 years. Therefore, when snow arrives, transport problems and other issues tend to be also present.