Spain is preparing for a long and atypical weekend, marked by a drastic change in weather conditions. The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) has warned of an unusual phenomenon for this time of year: a notable thermal rise that could lead to temperatures well above normal.
This abrupt meteorological change, which began on Thursday the 7th and is expected to last until the first days of next week, represents an unforeseen change in trend after the beginning of the long weekend characterized by low temperatures, rain and snowfall.
Even so, for this Friday the 8th, a front is expected to cross the country, leaving rainfall from the northwest to the southeast, although it is expected to subside in the afternoon, except in the extreme north. In areas like the Pyrenees, snowfall is expected. In addition, there will be an increase in the snow level in several mountainous regions, such as the Pyrenees and the Cantabrian Mountains.
The country has experienced the beginning of the long weekend with intense cold, precipitation in the form of snow and frost, phenomena that have become the predominant image in many regions. These conditions have given way to what seemed like the beginning of a severe winter. However, Aemet has warned of an important change in the weather pattern: a heat wave that contradicts seasonal expectations.
The most notable phenomenon of this change in climate trend is the notable increase in temperatures. According to Aemet, "it could be a new episode of very high temperatures for the time, between 5 and 10 ºC above normal."
This thermal rise will be so intense that December 11 and 12 could become the warmest for this month since at least 1940. After Wednesday the 13th, however, temperatures are expected to return to more normal values for the season.
In addition to the heat, another factor to take into account is the wind. The Aemet forecast indicates intense winds from the west in the Peninsula and the Balearic Islands, with especially strong gusts in the north of Galicia, the Cantabrian Sea, Alboran, the eastern third of the peninsula, mountain areas and the Balearic Islands. This wind could be especially intense in the north of Menorca, Ampurdán and gale force in the lower Ebro. In the Canary Islands, a moderate trade wind is expected.
