Warning to UK tourists as Spain issues amber alerts for 100km/h winds
Weather warnings are in force for holiday hospots including Barcelona and Majorca
Parts of Spain are being battered by strong winds this weekend with warnings in place for gusts of up to 100km/h in the north east of the country, in the region of Catalonia. Yellow warnings for strong winds are also in force across the region.
The coastline of Girona is covered by an amber warning until Saturday evening, while yellow warnings are in place for the coastlines of Barcelona, Tarragona and Castellon.
The warnings have been issued by Aemet, Spain’s national weather agency.
Yellow warnings for snow are in force in the pyrenees, which could experience ‘blizzard’ conditions.
The Balearic Islands, a popular destination among British holidaymakers, are covered by amber and yellow warnings for strong winds and rough sea conditions.
Conditions are expected to improve slightly on Sunday, although some warnings remain in place in the Balearics and off the coast of Girona.
Forecasters warn of “very strong gusts” in the Pyrenees, Empordà, the lower Ebro, Menorca, and Mallorca.
Forecasting for Sunday, Aemet said: “Moderate northerly and northeastern winds will continue in the northeastern third of the peninsula and the Balearic Islands, with periods of strong winds and very strong gusts in the Empordà region, the Pyrenees, the lower Ebro River, Menorca, and northern and eastern Mallorca.
“Winds may also be expected in other parts of the Ebro Valley. In the rest of the peninsula, winds will be predominantly easterly and northeasterly, light to moderate, with periods of strong winds and very strong gusts in the Strait of Gibraltar and the coasts of Galicia.”
By Monday the majority of warnings are removed, with just a yellow coastal warning in force for Menorca warning of waves of up to 4m and winds of 60km/h.
A yellow warning has been issued off the coast of Girona for similar conditions and a yellow coastal warning for Cadiz and Gibraltar for winds of up to 61km/h.
Forecasting for Monday, Aemet said:”The wind will tend to ease compared to previous days, with moderate tramontana winds remaining in the Empordà region and the northern Balearic Islands, with periods of strong winds and very strong gusts at the beginning and, in Menorca, also at the end of the day.
“Light, variable or easterly winds will predominate in the rest of the Peninsula, moderate along the coasts, and with periods of strong winds and very strong gusts around the Strait. “