Storm Jana arrives in Spain bringing widespread alerts for heavy rain, thunderstorms, strong winds and rough seas

This Saturday morning dawned in southern Spain with overcast skies, strong winds and the threat of rain. It was the prelude to the arrival of the so-called storm Jana, a weather event that the state meteorological agency (Aemet) has already warned of. The reason is that storm Jana will leave widespread rainfall across the country over the next few days, as well as intense southerly winds. The storm will last until Tuesday, when it will dissipate and stability will increase, reducing the amount of rainfall.

This has been pointed out by the state agency in a briefing note, where it has explained that the first of the weather fronts associated with storm Jana will arrive from the Atlantic.

During today, rainfall will be widespread in the western half of the Spanish mainland and may accumulate more than 40mm in twelve hours in the Central System and Sanabria, as well as in the western area Andalucía region where showers may be of strong or very strong intensity and be accompanied by thunderstorms. Additionally, Aemet has explained that Jana will also generate very strong gusts of wind from the south that will affect the main mountain systems, especially the Cantabrian mountain range, where they could spread to areas of lower altitude.

This Saturday will be the most adverse day of the episode, according to the state agency's forecast. On this day the second front will also pass through, more active than the first, and will cause rainfall to spread across the whole of the Spanish mainland, with the probability of locally heavy showers in the southwest and northeast quadrants of the country. Within this framework, the heaviest accumulations will happen in the Pyrenees, Central System and Andalucía, where they may exceed 100mm in 24 hours. Likewise, strong or very strong gusts of wind are expected across the board, more intense in the mountain systems, where more than 90 kilometres per hour (km/h) will be recorded, and there will be stormy weather on the Atlantic coasts of Galicia and Andalucía, with waves of four to five metres in height.

Although rainfall will continue to be widespread on Sunday and will extend to the Balearic Islands, the intensity will be lower on this day. According to Aemet, the heaviest accumulations are expected in the northeast of the Spanish mainland, the Atlantic coast of Galicia, around the Alboran Sea and, especially, in the area of the Strait of Gibraltar. Likewise, the winds will diminish considerably, although the forecast includes very strong gusts in the Cantabrian mountain range and, locally, on the coasts of Galicia and Andalucía, where the coastal storm will continue.

The state agency has said that there will be a generalised temperature decrease after the passage of the two fronts and that there will be a significant drop in the snow level, which will be between 1,000 and 1,200 metres. Heavy snowfall is expected in the main mountain ranges and some surrounding areas, with accumulated snow at high altitudes that could exceed 50 centimetres, especially in the Pyrenees. As reported by Aemet, storm Jana will continue to lose intensity on Monday, but its centre could enter the mainland and widespread rainfall could continue, more likely and more intense in the southwest quadrant.