Residents and British tourists in Spain are bracing for yet another strong weather front as the latest giant mass of cold air is set to bring strong rain, snow and temperatures of -6C after it detaches from the main polar jet stream.
The Spanish Meteorological Agency (Aemet) has warned freezing temperatures will soon arrive in Spain.
Yellow weather warnings are in place in Aragon, Asturias, Cantabria, Castilla y Leon, Catalunya, Navarra and La Rioja, with temperatures set to plummet to well below freezing.
Avila and Huesca will also experience lows of down to -3C, with a lack of clouds leading to a very cold atmosphere.
Meanwhile in the Catalan Pyrennes, it may snow around 1,000 metres above sea level.
The low temperatures are the result of a DANA storm coming from the Gulf of Genoa, passing through the Cantabrian and Atlantic sides of the Peninsula.
Showers will also spread along the Mediterranean coast, the southwest of the peninsula and the Balearic Islands, and may reach between 20 and 40 litres per square metre.
However, on this occasion they are expected to fall on the coast not on streams, meaning they do not pose an extreme risk.
This will come as a relief to many in Spain, following the torrential downpours in late October which brought over a year’s worth of rain to several areas including the Valencian Community, Castilla-La Mancha and Andalusia.
The resulting floodwaters caused the deaths of 230 people, with four more missing and substantial property damage. It has been described as one of the deadliest natural disasters in Spanish history.
On Thursday it will continue to rain, with possible thunderstorms in Catalunya. Asturias, Cantabria and Castilla y Leon.
La Rioja may have snow at 600 metres above sea level, with night frosts. Snow is not ruled out from 1,000 metres altitude in the rest of the peninsula.
Daytime highs will be around 14-17C in Alicante, Almeria, Badajoz, Cadiz, Barcelona, Cordoba, A Coruña, San Sebastian, Malaga, Murcia and Valencia.
On Friday, rain will be concentrated in the southern half of the Atlantic slope, western Andalucia, Alboran and western Galicia, and may be heavy in coastal areas.
Meanwhile in the Canary Islands, widespread cloudiness and rain is expected in the west of the archipelago.
Throughout the week, maximum temperatures will return to normal, stabilising at around 10 degrees in inland areas and climbing above 15 degrees in many areas of the south and east of the peninsula during the weekend.
Frosts will become less widespread but may still be heavy in the north.
Experts have reminded Spaniards that it is “not unusual” for DANAs to form in December and they should not be immediately associated with high risk.
