Rain and storms in Cataluña and Illes Balears, 9–10 October 2018

9 October 2018 to 10 October 2018. Updated 26 October 2026.

Over 2 days, 19 of Spain's 182 warning zones had an orange or red warning for rain and storms: 34 zone-days at orange or red, 4 of them red. The day with the most zones at orange or red was 10 October, with 19 zones.

10 October was the day with the most people in zones under an orange or red warning: 10.3 million people live there (INE municipal register, 2025).

RedOrangeYellowNo warningEach zone at the highest warning it had during the episode. Grey: no warning on those days.

True-colour satellite image of the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands on 10 October 2018 — Spain from space on 10 October 2018, the day with the most zones at orange or red. Image: NASA Worldview.

How it compares

It is number 91 of 119 episodes since June 2018 by zone-days at orange or red.
Among the 35 rain episodes, it is number 24.
Until then, no rain episode in the archive had been this widespread.

Day by day

Day	Red	Orange	Yellow	Orange or red warnings for
Tue 9 October	1	14	29	rain, storms
Wed 10 October	3	16	3	rain, storms

Zones with a warning each day, at their highest level that day.

The zones

Zone	Province	Highest level	Warning days
Axarquía	Málaga	red	2
Norte y nordeste de Mallorca	Mallorca	red	2
Sol y Guadalhorce	Málaga	red	2
Ampurdán	Girona	orange	2
Depresión central de Barcelona	Barcelona	orange	2
Levante mallorquín	Mallorca	orange	2
Litoral de Barcelona	Barcelona	orange	2
Litoral norte de Tarragona	Tarragona	orange	2
Litoral sur de Girona	Girona	orange	2
Menorca	Menorca	orange	2
Pirineo de Girona	Girona	orange	2
Prelitoral de Barcelona	Barcelona	orange	2
Prelitoral de Girona	Girona	orange	2
Prelitoral norte de Tarragona	Tarragona	orange	2
Prepirineo de Barcelona	Barcelona	orange	2
Ibiza y Formentera	Ibiza y Formentera	orange	2
Interior de Mallorca	Mallorca	orange	2
Sierra Tramontana	Mallorca	orange	2
Sur de Mallorca	Mallorca	orange	2

And 25 more zones with yellow warnings only.

What AEMET's stations measured

The most measured in the zones with an orange or red warning, on their warning days: 232.8 l/m² of rain in 24 h at Artà-Colònia de Sant Pere (Norte y nordeste de Mallorca) on 9 October; a 61 km/h gust at Barcelona, Fabra (Litoral de Barcelona) on 9 October.

Zone	Most rain in 24 h	Strongest gust
Norte y nordeste de Mallorca	232.8 l/m² Artà-Colònia de Sant Pere · 9 October	54 km/h Port de Pollença · 10 October
Sol y Guadalhorce	193.0 l/m² Coín · 9 October	51 km/h Estepona · 10 October
Litoral norte de Tarragona	144.9 l/m² Reus Aeropuerto · 9 October	48 km/h Reus Aeropuerto · 9 October
Levante mallorquín	98.4 l/m² Son Servera · 9 October	43 km/h Son Servera · 9 October
Prelitoral de Girona	70.3 l/m² Les Planes D'Hostoles · 9 October	39 km/h Girona Aeropuerto · 9 October
Prelitoral de Barcelona	63.6 l/m² Fogars de Montclús · 9 October	44 km/h Pontons · 9 October
Pirineo de Girona	60.1 l/m² Campdevanol · 9 October	32 km/h Planoles · 9 October
Depresión central de Barcelona	57.0 l/m² Sant Julià de Vilatorta · 9 October	44 km/h Moià · 9 October
Litoral sur de Girona	53.4 l/m² Castell D'Aro · 10 October	40 km/h Castell D'Aro · 9 October
Ampurdán	47.6 l/m² Figueres · 9 October	41 km/h Espolla · 10 October
Menorca	46.4 l/m² Ciutadella · 9 October	47 km/h Es Mercadal · 9 October
Litoral de Barcelona	43.8 l/m² Barcelona, Drassanes · 9 October	61 km/h Barcelona, Fabra · 9 October
Prelitoral norte de Tarragona	42.8 l/m² Valls · 9 October	39 km/h Llorac · 9 October
Prepirineo de Barcelona *	37.0 l/m² Berga · 9 October	32 km/h Berga · 9 October
Sierra Tramontana	29.9 l/m² Escorca, Lluc · 10 October	57 km/h Sierra de Alfabia, Bunyola · 10 October
Interior de Mallorca	28.4 l/m² Santa María del Camí · 10 October	39 km/h Binissalem · 9 October
Axarquía	25.2 l/m² Rincón de la Victoria · 9 October	34 km/h Algarrobo · 9 October
Sur de Mallorca	25.2 l/m² Llucmajor, Radar · 9 October	50 km/h Calvià, Es Capdellà · 9 October
Ibiza y Formentera	5.9 l/m² Formentera · 9 October	39 km/h Eivissa · 9 October

* Zone with no AEMET station: the value is from the nearest one, outside the zone.

For each zone, the highest value its AEMET stations measured on the episode's warning days (the lowest, for the low temperature), with the station and the day. Rain from 07:00 to 07:00 UTC; gust: the day's strongest. It is what the zone's stations measured, not every town, and a measurement, like a warning, is not damage.

How AEMET's warnings unfolded

The red warning reached 4 zone-days. AEMET issued it ahead of time in 1 of them (median: 119 min) and for the current hour in the other 3: warnings are also raised as things unfold. The first warning of any level for those same days had come a median 18 h earlier.

Zone	Day	First warning	Red issued	For · notice
Norte y nordeste de Mallorca	Tue 9	Mon 8 Oct, 11:32 yellow	22:01	22:00 · for the current hour
Norte y nordeste de Mallorca	Wed 10	Mon 8 Oct, 11:36 yellow	Tue 9 Oct, 22:01	00:00 · 119 min before
Axarquía	Wed 10	Tue 9 Oct, 22:33 orange	00:00	00:00 · for the current hour
Sol y Guadalhorce	Wed 10	Tue 9 Oct, 22:33 orange	00:00	00:00 · for the current hour

The full timeline: 94 changes at orange or red

Mon 8 October

22:22 Ampurdán, Litoral de Barcelona, Litoral sur de Girona, Pirineo de Girona, Prelitoral de Barcelona, Prelitoral de Girona: Raises the rain warning to orange: Tuesday 9, 18:00–24:00. Up to 40 mm in 1 h.
23:04 Ampurdán, Litoral de Barcelona, Litoral sur de Girona, Pirineo de Girona, Prelitoral de Barcelona, Prelitoral de Girona: Raises the rain warning to orange: Wednesday 10, 00:00–06:00. Up to 40 mm in 1 h.

Tue 9 October

09:36 Litoral de Barcelona: Brings the orange rain warning forward: now from 10:00 on Tuesday 9. Up to 50 mm in 1 h.
09:48 Sol y Guadalhorce: Raises the rain warning to orange: Tuesday 9, 10:00–24:00. Up to 30 mm in 1 h.
11:01 Ampurdán, Litoral de Barcelona, Litoral sur de Girona, Prelitoral de Barcelona: Lowers the rain warning to yellow: Tuesday 9, 12:00–24:00. Up to 20 mm in 1 h · 60 mm in 12 h.
11:01 Ampurdán, Litoral de Barcelona, Litoral sur de Girona, Prelitoral de Barcelona: Lowers the rain warning to yellow: Wednesday 10, all day. Up to 20 mm in 1 h · 60 mm in 12 h.
11:01 Depresión central de Barcelona: Raises the rain warning to orange: Tuesday 9, 18:00–24:00. Up to 40 mm in 1 h.
11:01 Depresión central de Barcelona: Raises the rain warning to orange: Wednesday 10, 00:00–06:00. Up to 40 mm in 1 h.
13:44 Ampurdán, Litoral de Barcelona, Litoral sur de Girona: Raises the storms warning to orange: Tuesday 9, 18:00–24:00.
13:44 Ampurdán, Litoral de Barcelona, Litoral sur de Girona: Raises the storms warning to orange: Wednesday 10, 00:00–06:00.
18:53 Levante mallorquín, Norte y nordeste de Mallorca: Raises the rain warning to orange: Tuesday 9, 19:00–21:00. Up to 50 mm in 1 h.
20:13 Levante mallorquín, Norte y nordeste de Mallorca: Extends the orange rain warning: now until 22:00 on Tuesday 9. Up to 100 mm in 12 h.
22:01 Levante mallorquín: Raises the rain warning to orange: Tuesday 9, 23:00–24:00. Up to 60 mm in 1 h.
22:01 Levante mallorquín: Raises the rain warning to orange: Wednesday 10, 00:00–02:00. Up to 60 mm in 1 h.
22:01 Norte y nordeste de Mallorca: Raises the rain warning to red: Tuesday 9, 23:00–24:00. Up to 220 mm in 12 h.
22:01 Norte y nordeste de Mallorca: Raises the rain warning to red: Wednesday 10, 00:00–02:00. Up to 220 mm in 12 h.
22:33 Axarquía: Raises the rain warning to orange: Tuesday 9, 23:00–24:00. Up to 45 mm in 1 h.
22:33 Axarquía, Sol y Guadalhorce: Issues a orange rain warning: Wednesday 10, 00:00–09:00. Up to 45 mm in 1 h.
22:38 Ampurdán, Litoral de Barcelona, Litoral norte de Tarragona, Litoral sur de Girona, Prelitoral de Barcelona, Prelitoral norte de Tarragona, Prepirineo de Barcelona: Raises the rain warning to orange: Tuesday 9, 23:00–24:00. Up to 60 mm in 1 h.
22:38 Ampurdán, Litoral de Barcelona, Litoral sur de Girona, Prelitoral de Barcelona: Raises the rain warning to orange: Wednesday 10, 00:00–18:00. Up to 60 mm in 1 h · 150 mm in 12 h.
22:38 Depresión central de Barcelona: Extends the orange rain warning: now until 18:00 on Wednesday 10. Up to 40 mm in 1 h · 100 mm in 12 h.
22:38 Depresión central de Barcelona, Litoral norte de Tarragona, Pirineo de Girona, Prelitoral de Barcelona, Prelitoral de Girona, Prelitoral norte de Tarragona, Prepirineo de Barcelona: Raises the storms warning to orange: Tuesday 9, 23:00–24:00.
22:38 Depresión central de Barcelona, Litoral norte de Tarragona, Pirineo de Girona, Prelitoral de Barcelona, Prelitoral de Girona, Prelitoral norte de Tarragona, Prepirineo de Barcelona: Raises the storms warning to orange: Wednesday 10, 00:00–06:00.
22:38 Litoral norte de Tarragona, Prelitoral norte de Tarragona: Raises the rain warning to orange: Wednesday 10, 00:00–06:00. Up to 60 mm in 1 h.
22:38 Pirineo de Girona, Prelitoral de Girona: Extends the orange rain warning: now until 18:00 on Wednesday 10. Up to 60 mm in 1 h · 150 mm in 12 h.
22:38 Prepirineo de Barcelona: Raises the rain warning to orange: Wednesday 10, 00:00–18:00. Up to 60 mm in 1 h · 100 mm in 12 h.
23:14 Menorca: Raises the rain warning to orange: Wednesday 10, 00:00–04:00. Up to 40 mm in 1 h.
23:14 Menorca: Raises the storms warning to orange: Wednesday 10, 00:00–04:00.

Wed 10 October

00:00 Axarquía, Sol y Guadalhorce: Raises the rain warning to red: Wednesday 10, 00:00–09:00. Up to 150 mm in 12 h.
00:51 Levante mallorquín: Lowers the rain warning to yellow: Wednesday 10, 01:00–12:00. Up to 20 mm in 1 h.
00:51 Norte y nordeste de Mallorca: Lowers the rain warning to yellow: Wednesday 10, 01:00–12:00. Up to 20 mm in 1 h.
08:21 Ibiza y Formentera: Raises the rain warning to orange: Wednesday 10, 09:00–18:00. Up to 40 mm in 1 h.
08:22 Ampurdán, Litoral sur de Girona, Prelitoral de Girona: Extends the orange rain warning: now until 21:00 on Wednesday 10. Up to 150 mm in 12 h.
08:58 Axarquía, Sol y Guadalhorce: Raises the rain warning to orange: Wednesday 10, 09:00–12:00. Up to 40 mm in 1 h.
16:49 Litoral norte de Tarragona: Raises the rain warning to orange: Wednesday 10, 17:00–18:00. Up to 60 mm in 1 h.
17:05 Interior de Mallorca, Levante mallorquín, Menorca, Norte y nordeste de Mallorca, Sierra Tramontana, Sur de Mallorca: Issues a orange rain warning: Wednesday 10, 18:00–21:00. Up to 40 mm in 1 h.
20:43 Ampurdán, Litoral sur de Girona: Extends the orange rain warning: now until 24:00 on Wednesday 10. Up to 40 mm in 1 h.
20:43 Litoral de Barcelona: Raises the rain warning to orange: Wednesday 10, 21:00–24:00. Up to 40 mm in 1 h.

AEMET's issue times, in mainland Spain time (Canary Islands in island time). Notice is the time from issue to the first hour the warning covered; a warning issued “for the current hour” runs from the hour it is published.

What this says and what it doesn't

A warning is an AEMET forecast, not a measurement or a damage report: it says a threshold is expected to be exceeded in a zone. A warning is not damage; a zone is not a building.

A zone-day is one warning zone with a warning on one day. Ten zones at orange on the same day make ten zone-days. A day with several warnings in one zone counts once, at its highest level.

Each zone has its own thresholds, so an orange heat warning in Asturias doesn't mean the same temperature as in Córdoba. More in how warnings work.

To cite: “Climaviso, from AEMET warnings”.

Source: official AEMET warnings, collected by Climaviso since June 2018.

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