ClimavisoRain in Comunitat Valenciana, Andalucía and elsewhere, 18–21 October 2018
18 October 2018 to 21 October 2018. Updated 26 October 2026.
Over 4 days, 37 of Spain's 182 warning zones had an orange or red warning for rain: 70 zone-days at orange or red, 22 of them red. The day with the most zones at orange or red was 18 October, with 25 zones.
18 October was the day with the most people in zones under an orange or red warning: 7.5 million people live there (INE municipal register, 2025).
How it compares
- It is number 51 of 119 episodes since June 2018 by zone-days at orange or red.
- Among the 35 rain episodes, it is number 8.
- Until then, no rain episode in the archive had been this widespread.
Day by day
| Day | Red | Orange | Yellow | Orange or red warnings for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 18 October | 7 | 18 | 41 | rain, storms |
| Fri 19 October | 7 | 13 | 15 | rain, storms |
| Sat 20 October | 4 | 12 | 30 | rain |
| Sun 21 October | 4 | 5 | 24 | rain |
Zones with a warning each day, at their highest level that day.
The zones
And 50 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: 293.2 l/m² of rain in 24 h at Alpandeire (Ronda) on 21 October.
| Zone | Most rain in 24 h |
|---|---|
| Ronda | 293.2 l/m² Alpandeire · 21 October |
| Litoral norte de Castellón | 263.4 l/m² Vinaròs · 19 October |
| Antequera | 259.8 l/m² Antequera · 20 October |
| Litoral sur de Castellón | 207.2 l/m² Torreblanca · 18 October |
| Interior norte de Castellón | 155.1 l/m² Castellfort · 18 October |
| Litoral norte de Valencia | 136.0 l/m² València · 18 October |
| Sierra Tramontana | 118.7 l/m² Escorca, Lluc · 18 October |
| Litoral sur de Valencia | 117.6 l/m² Barx · 20 October |
| Interior sur de Castellón | 114.2 l/m² Atzeneta del Maestrat · 19 October |
| Gúdar y Maestrazgo | 106.4 l/m² Mosqueruela · 19 October |
| Sierra sur de Sevilla | 90.6 l/m² La Roda de Andalucía · 20 October |
| Prelitoral sur de Tarragona | 85.9 l/m² Estación de Tortosa (roquetes) · 19 October |
| Bajo Aragón de Teruel | 81.4 l/m² Valderrobres · 18 October |
| Norte y nordeste de Mallorca | 77.4 l/m² Artà-Colònia de Sant Pere · 18 October |
| Depresión central de Tarragona | 74.4 l/m² Horta de Sant Joan · 18 October |
| Campiña sevillana | 62.2 l/m² Osuna · 20 October |
| Interior norte de Valencia | 62.0 l/m² Ademuz · 18 October |
| Litoral sur de Tarragona | 61.2 l/m² Sant Jaume D'Enveja · 18 October |
| Estrecho | 47.4 l/m² San Roque · 21 October |
| Levante mallorquín | 40.8 l/m² Son Servera · 18 October |
And 17 more zones with an orange or red warning.
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 22 zone-days. AEMET issued it ahead of time in 15 of them (median: 19 h) and for the current hour in the other 7: warnings are also raised as things unfold. The first warning of any level for those same days had come a median 33 h earlier.
| Zone | Day | First warning | Red issued | For · notice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interior norte de Castellón | Thu 18 | Tue 16 Oct, 11:31 orange | Wed 17 Oct, 11:57 | 18:00 · 30 h before |
| Litoral norte de Castellón | Thu 18 | Tue 16 Oct, 11:31 orange | Wed 17 Oct, 11:57 | 18:00 · 30 h before |
| Interior sur de Castellón | Thu 18 | Tue 16 Oct, 11:31 yellow | Wed 17 Oct, 22:33 | 18:00 · 19 h before |
| Litoral sur de Castellón | Thu 18 | Tue 16 Oct, 11:31 yellow | Wed 17 Oct, 22:33 | 18:00 · 19 h before |
| Gúdar y Maestrazgo | Thu 18 | Tue 16 Oct, 11:31 yellow | 11:33 | 16:00 · 4 h before |
| Litoral sur de Tarragona | Thu 18 | Tue 16 Oct, 11:31 orange | 21:17 | 21:00 · for the current hour |
| Prelitoral sur de Tarragona | Thu 18 | Tue 16 Oct, 11:31 orange | 21:17 | 21:00 · for the current hour |
| Interior norte de Castellón | Fri 19 | Tue 16 Oct, 23:50 orange | Wed 17 Oct, 12:29 | 00:00 · 36 h before |
| Litoral norte de Castellón | Fri 19 | Tue 16 Oct, 23:50 orange | Wed 17 Oct, 12:29 | 00:00 · 36 h before |
| Interior sur de Castellón | Fri 19 | Tue 16 Oct, 23:50 orange | Wed 17 Oct, 23:21 | 00:00 · 25 h before |
| Litoral sur de Castellón | Fri 19 | Tue 16 Oct, 23:50 orange | Wed 17 Oct, 23:21 | 00:00 · 25 h before |
| Gúdar y Maestrazgo | Fri 19 | Tue 16 Oct, 23:50 yellow | Thu 18 Oct, 11:33 | 00:00 · 12 h before |
| Litoral sur de Tarragona | Fri 19 | Tue 16 Oct, 23:50 orange | Thu 18 Oct, 21:17 | 00:00 · 3 h before |
| Prelitoral sur de Tarragona | Fri 19 | Tue 16 Oct, 23:50 orange | Thu 18 Oct, 21:17 | 00:00 · 3 h before |
| Sol y Guadalhorce | Sat 20 | Wed 17 Oct, 23:50 yellow | Fri 19 Oct, 22:22 | 06:00 · 8 h before |
And 7 more zone-days.
The full timeline: 177 changes at orange or red
Only the changes involving red are listed: there were 177 in all.
Wed 17 October
- Interior norte de Castellón, Litoral norte de Castellón: Raises the rain warning to red: Thursday 18, 18:00–24:00. Up to 180 mm in 12 h.
- Interior norte de Castellón, Litoral norte de Castellón: Raises the rain warning to red: Friday 19, 00:00–06:00. Up to 180 mm in 12 h.
- Interior sur de Castellón, Litoral sur de Castellón: Raises the rain warning to red: Thursday 18, 18:00–24:00. Up to 180 mm in 12 h.
- Interior norte de Castellón, Litoral norte de Castellón: Extends the red rain warning: now until 12:00 on Friday 19. Up to 180 mm in 12 h.
- Interior sur de Castellón, Litoral sur de Castellón: Raises the rain warning to red: Friday 19, 00:00–12:00. Up to 180 mm in 12 h.
Thu 18 October
- Interior norte de Castellón, Interior sur de Castellón, Litoral norte de Castellón, Litoral sur de Castellón: Lowers the rain warning to orange: Thursday 18, 09:00–24:00. Up to 60 mm in 1 h.
- Gúdar y Maestrazgo: Raises the rain warning to red: Thursday 18, 16:00–24:00. Up to 120 mm in 12 h.
- Gúdar y Maestrazgo: Raises the rain warning to red: Friday 19, 00:00–12:00. Up to 120 mm in 12 h.
- Interior norte de Castellón, Interior sur de Castellón, Litoral norte de Castellón, Litoral sur de Castellón: Raises the rain warning to red: Thursday 18, 18:00–24:00. Up to 200 mm in 12 h.
- Interior norte de Castellón, Litoral norte de Castellón: Extends the red rain warning: now until 18:00 on Friday 19. Up to 200 mm in 12 h.
- Litoral sur de Tarragona, Prelitoral sur de Tarragona: Raises the rain warning to red: Thursday 18, 22:00–24:00. Up to 180 mm in 12 h.
- Litoral sur de Tarragona, Prelitoral sur de Tarragona: Raises the rain warning to red: Friday 19, 00:00–18:00. Up to 180 mm in 12 h.
- Interior sur de Castellón, Litoral sur de Castellón: Lowers the rain warning to orange: Thursday 18, 22:00–24:00. Up to 60 mm in 1 h.
- Interior sur de Castellón, Litoral sur de Castellón: Lowers the rain warning to orange: Friday 19, all day. Up to 60 mm in 1 h · 150 mm in 12 h.
Fri 19 October
- Interior sur de Castellón, Litoral sur de Castellón: Raises the rain warning to red: Friday 19, 09:00–12:00. Up to 180 mm in 12 h.
- Interior norte de Castellón, Litoral norte de Castellón: Lowers the rain warning to orange: Friday 19, 13:00–24:00. Up to 140 mm in 12 h.
- Litoral sur de Tarragona, Prelitoral sur de Tarragona: Lowers the rain warning to orange: Friday 19, 13:00–24:00. Up to 50 mm in 1 h.
- Litoral norte de Castellón: Raises the rain warning to red: Friday 19, 20:00–22:00. Up to 100 mm in 1 h.
- Litoral sur de Tarragona: Raises the rain warning to red: Friday 19, 20:00–24:00. Up to 90 mm in 1 h.
- Sol y Guadalhorce: Raises the rain warning to red: Saturday 20, 06:00–18:00. Up to 120 mm in 12 h.
Sat 20 October
- Sol y Guadalhorce: Lowers the rain warning to orange: Saturday 20, 15:00–24:00. Up to 90 mm in 12 h.
- Litoral sur de Valencia: Raises the rain warning to red: Saturday 20, 18:00–19:00. Up to 130 mm in 1 h.
- Antequera: Raises the rain warning to red: Sunday 21, 00:00–03:00. Up to 120 mm in 12 h.
- Sierra sur de Sevilla: Raises the rain warning to red: Sunday 21, 00:00–03:00. Up to 120 mm in 12 h.
Sun 21 October
- Antequera: Extends the red rain warning: now until 08:00 on Sunday 21. Up to 120 mm in 12 h.
- Ronda, Sol y Guadalhorce: Raises the rain warning to red: Sunday 21, 06:00–08:00. Up to 150 mm in 12 h.
- Antequera, Ronda: Extends the red rain warning: now until 10:00 on Sunday 21. Up to 180 mm in 12 h.
- Antequera: Lowers the rain warning to orange: Sunday 21, 09:00–15:00. Up to 40 mm in 1 h · 80 mm in 12 h.
- Antequera: Raises the rain warning to red: Sunday 21, 10:00–12:00. Up to 180 mm in 12 h.
- Ronda: Extends the red rain warning: now until 12:00 on Sunday 21. Up to 180 mm in 12 h.
- Sol y Guadalhorce: Raises the rain warning to red: Sunday 21, 12:00–18:00. Up to 130 mm in 12 h.
- Ronda: Raises the rain warning to red: Sunday 21, 13:00–15:00. Up to 120 mm in 12 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.