Storm Olivia: Where might it rain in the south of Spain this weekend and will there be deposits of mud?

Almudena Nogués

Malaga

Friday, 5 April 2024, 11:29

A dozen provinces across Spain will be on alert this Friday (5 April) for wind, rain and waves, on a day marked by rising temperatures, according to the national forecast from the state weather agency (Aemet).

On the Andalusian map, the day has dawned in Cadiz with a yellow warning for coastal phenomena. Until 9pm, the Strait of Gibraltar area will be affected by easterly winds of between 50 and 61 kilometres per hour (force 7) and offshore to the south of Trafalgar point on a day marked by the arrival of a system of fronts associated with storm Olivia (named by the Portuguese Meteorological Institute) which will approach the extreme northwest of the Spanish mainland, increasing cloudiness.

In Andalucía, Aemet forecasts cloudy skies today, with high clouds. Intervals of low clouds and morning mist. From the afternoon onwards, there is a probability of 'calima' dust in suspension and temperatures will rise. Seville and Jaén will record the highest maximum temperatures (30C), while minimum temperatures will remain particularly high in Almeria and Cadiz, with 14 and 15 degrees respectively.

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"Storm Olivia will pass over Andalucía. What will be likely from Saturday onwards is the entry of a 'calima' again in our region, with the highest concentration on Sunday and Monday. It is likely that on Sunday there will be some light showers accompanied by deposits of mud deposits in the provinces of Huelva, Cadiz and Seville, and this will be due to the passage of a front that is not very active", said Malaga weather expert José Luis Escudero in his SUR blog 'Tormentas y Rayos' (Storms and Lightning).

Aemet agrees with Escudero's forecast and points to Saturday for "cloudy skies with high clouds, tending to very cloudy in the evening when weak precipitation is not ruled out in the far west that may be accompanied by deposits of mud," the state agency warned. The 'calima' haze, it points out, could be thicker at the end of the day and minimum temperatures will rise. The Levante will also blow strongly along the coast of Almeria and the Strait of Gibraltar, with occasional very strong gusts.

"In the province of Malaga, maximum and minimum temperatures will also rise. Olivia will favour a warm air mass affecting us from tomorrow, which will raise the thermometers in some parts of the Guadalquivir Valley to 30 degrees. Likewise, there is a probability of a coastal mist on Saturday," added Escudero.

On Sunday, the scenario is very similar. Aemet forecasts for the region show "cloudy skies with medium and high clouds, without ruling out light rain on the Atlantic slope, locally moderate, which may be accompanied by storms and mud deposits". "Rainfall is more likely in the northwest of the region and during the early morning, opening clearings from west to east throughout the day," added the state agency. There will also be a lull in the wind and there will be intervals of moderate easterlies on the Mediterranean coast during the early hours of the morning.

"In Malaga we will have medium and high clouds on Sunday with the passage of the aforementioned front. For the moment, no mud precipitation is expected in the province", concluded José Luis Escudero.