By Andrew Atkinson
ALICANTE has suffered its rainiest year on record during 2019 after the latest storms that hit this week, according to data provided by AEMET.
The 24 hours rainfall across the Valencian Community that hit on Monday and Tuesday has ceased, with AEMET forecasts of cloudy intervals for Wednesday (October 23), although the sky will clear by the afternoon, with a forecast of 21 degrees for the Vega Baja regions.
In the regions of Valencia, the maximum rains have been 64.7 litres per square metre in Oliva; 53.8 in Villalonga and 43.4 in Xàtiva.
The Gota Fria storms and floods in the Vega Baja regions in September – that lasted three days – were the biggest on record during the last century.
Scattered showers are forecast in Castellón and surrounding areas, with variable to moderate winds in the south and south-west.
In Valencia and Alicante, wind from a moderate to moderate west is forecast.
The rainstorm on Tuesday accumulated rainfall of 108.7 litres per square metre at the Montgó weather station.
Despite respite in the Costa Blanca and Costa Calida areas 18 provinces remain on alert.
On Wednesday the northern third and the southern coast have warnings for risk (yellow), significant risk (orange) or extreme risk (red) for rain, storms, wind or coastal phenomena, according to the State Meteorological Agency AEMET.
Gerona are on a red warning alert, with the chance of torrential rainfall, with more than 80 litres per square metre accumulated in one hour, and up to 180 litres per square metre in 12 hours possible.
In addition Girona will have significant risk, due to storms with a yellow warning in place, with winds of up to 80 kilometres per hour.
Heavy rainfall is forecast across several areas, including Barcelona, Lleida, Tarragona, Balearic Islands, Cantabria and Biscay; Huesca, Zaragoza, Asturias and Burgos.
Strong winds of up to 90 kilometres per hour in León, Burgos, Palencia, Cantabria, Vizcaya and Gerona are also forecast.
