Spain’s national weather agency Aemet has issued a special amber alert as Hurricane Kirk, which has now been downgraded to a storm, is set to arrive in the holiday hotspot today
A storm alert has been issued by Spain’s national weather agency for UK tourists as the remnants of Hurricane Kirk are set to make landfall.
Strong winds and heavy rainfall are expected to batter large parts of Spain today, according to agency Aemet. The north-west is expected to bear the brunt, with forecasters predicting “very strong gusts of wind” and heavy downpours.
Winds of up to 120km/h are forecast in the Southwestern Asturia region, prompting amber warnings for “violent north-west wind” along the Cantabrian and Biscay coastlines. Central Spain can expect winds of up to 80km/h, while the north coast is bracing for stormy conditions with amber warnings in place.
The Mediterranean coastline, including the Almeria, Castellon, Tarragona, and Barcelona regions, is under a yellow coastal warning. The Balearic Islands, including Ibiza, Majorca, and Mallorca, are also under a yellow warning, with force 7 winds (60km/h) and waves up to 3m expected.
Aemet, the Spanish meteorological agency, has issued a warning for Wednesday, October 9, stating: “Former hurricane Kirk is expected to be over the northwest of the peninsula, leaving a predominance of cloudy or overcast skies with precipitation advancing from west to east and affecting most of the Peninsula. Less abundant precipitation is expected the further east it goes, occurring weakly and occasionally in the far east and the Balearic Islands, and not expected to reach the southeastern tip of the peninsula.”
It added that the rainfall will be more intense, potentially becoming strong and/or persistent and with the possibility of some storms, in the Pyrenees, Cantabrian area, west of the Central System and Galicia, especially in its western half where the highest accumulations are expected, reports the Manchester Evening News. The forecasters also highlighted: “The wind will be the most significant phenomenon of the day. In the eastern Cantabrian Sea there will be a gale turning from south to northwest. It will blow strongly from the south and southwest in most of the Peninsula and the Balearic Islands, with a westerly wind in the Strait and Alboran, and a tendency to turn to a westerly component in the rest.”
“It is expected to reach strong and/or very strong gusts in most of the territory, less likely in the interior of the extreme southwest, and except in the northeast where it will be weak from the southeast. It will be more intense in the Cantabrian Sea, the northwest quadrant and the Pyrenees, and may reach hurricane-force gusts in parts of Galicia, the north of the Iberian Peninsula, the Pyrenees and the Cantabrian area, especially in its mountains. “.
