Wind and rain in Cataluña, Castilla y León and elsewhere, 9–10 December 2021

9 December 2021 to 10 December 2021. Updated 26 October 2026.

Over 2 days, 19 of Spain's 182 warning zones had an orange or red warning for wind and rain: 29 zone-days at orange or red, 0 of them red. The day with the most zones at orange or red was 10 December, with 16 zones.

10 December was the day with the most people in zones under an orange or red warning: 2 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 December 2021 — Spain from space on 10 December 2021, the day with the most zones at orange or red. Image: NASA Worldview.

How it compares

It is number 97 of 119 episodes since June 2018 by zone-days at orange or red.
Among the 26 wind episodes, it is number 19.
There hadn't been a wind episode this widespread since January 2021.

Day by day

Day	Red	Orange	Yellow	Orange or red warnings for
Thu 9 December	—	13	42	snow, rain, wind
Fri 10 December	—	16	42	wind, rain, snow

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

The zones

Zone	Province	Highest level	Warning days
Cordillera Cantábrica de Burgos	Burgos	orange	2
Gipuzkoa interior	Gipuzkoa	orange	2
Gipuzkoa litoral	Gipuzkoa	orange	2
Litoral norte de Tarragona	Tarragona	orange	2
Norte de Burgos	Burgos	orange	2
Pirineo navarro	Navarra	orange	2
Pirineo oscense	Huesca	orange	2
Prelitoral norte de Tarragona	Tarragona	orange	2
Valle de Arán	Lleida	orange	2
Vertiente cantábrica de Navarra	Navarra	orange	2
Cordillera Cantábrica de León	León	orange	2
Cordillera Cantábrica de Palencia	Palencia	orange	2
Interior de Mallorca	Mallorca	orange	2
Interior norte de Castellón	Castelló/Castellón	orange	2
Interior sur de Castellón	Castelló/Castellón	orange	2
Litoral sur de Tarragona	Tarragona	orange	2
Norte y nordeste de Mallorca	Mallorca	orange	2
Prelitoral sur de Tarragona	Tarragona	orange	2
Cinco Villas de Zaragoza	Zaragoza	orange	1

And 48 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: 185.2 l/m² of rain in 24 h at Articutza (automatica) (Vertiente cantábrica de Navarra) on 9 December; a 121 km/h gust at Binissalem (Interior de Mallorca) on 10 December.

Zone	Most rain in 24 h	Strongest gust
Vertiente cantábrica de Navarra	185.2 l/m² Articutza (automatica) · 9 December	69 km/h Bera · 10 December
Pirineo navarro	148.0 l/m² Roncesvalles/orreaga · 9 December	55 km/h Valcarlos/luzaide · 9 December
Gipuzkoa interior	130.8 l/m² Elgeta · 9 December	62 km/h Zumarraga · 9 December
Cordillera Cantábrica de León	114.4 l/m² Posada de Valdeón, Soto · 9 December	90 km/h Puerto de San Isidro · 9 December
Pirineo oscense	110.8 l/m² Aragüés del Puerto · 9 December	99 km/h Astún, la Raca · 10 December
Gipuzkoa litoral	110.2 l/m² Irun · 9 December	96 km/h Donostia / San Sebastián, Igeldo · 10 December
Valle de Arán	75.0 l/m² Naut Aran, Arties · 9 December	91 km/h Cap de Vaquèira · 10 December
Norte de Burgos	32.0 l/m² Medina de Pomar · 9 December	74 km/h Briviesca · 9 December
Cinco Villas de Zaragoza	30.0 l/m² Sos del Rey Católico · 9 December	49 km/h Castejon de Valdejasa · 9 December
Cordillera Cantábrica de Burgos	17.6 l/m² Santa Gadea de Alfoz · 9 December	44 km/h Sargentes de la Lora · 9 December
Cordillera Cantábrica de Palencia	16.4 l/m² Velilla del Río Carrión, Camporredondo de Alba · 9 December	90 km/h Velilla del Río Carrión, Camporredondo de Alba · 10 December
Norte y nordeste de Mallorca	6.6 l/m² Artà · 10 December	103 km/h Sa Pobla · 10 December
Interior norte de Castellón	5.6 l/m² La Pobla de Benifassà-Fredes · 9 December	108 km/h La Pobla de Benifassà-Fredes · 10 December
Interior de Mallorca	3.6 l/m² Santa María del Camí · 9 December	121 km/h Binissalem · 10 December
Prelitoral sur de Tarragona	2.6 l/m² Alforja · 9 December	99 km/h Estación de Tortosa (roquetes) · 10 December
Prelitoral norte de Tarragona	1.4 l/m² Llorac · 9 December	84 km/h Llorac · 10 December
Interior sur de Castellón	0.0 l/m² Segorbe · 9 December	85 km/h Montanejos · 10 December
Litoral norte de Tarragona	0.0 l/m² Reus Aeropuerto · 9 December	113 km/h Reus Aeropuerto · 10 December

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 orange warning reached 29 zone-days. AEMET issued it ahead of time in 24 of them (median: 21 h) and for the current hour in the other 5: warnings are also raised as things unfold. The first warning of any level for those same days had come a median 35 h earlier.

Zone	Day	First warning	Orange issued	For · notice
Pirineo oscense	Thu 9	Mon 6 Dec, 23:50 orange	Mon 6 Dec, 23:50	00:00 · 48 h before
Cordillera Cantábrica de Burgos	Thu 9	Mon 6 Dec, 23:50 yellow	Wed 8 Dec, 10:58	08:00 · 21 h before
Norte de Burgos	Thu 9	Tue 7 Dec, 11:46 yellow	Wed 8 Dec, 10:58	08:00 · 21 h before
Cinco Villas de Zaragoza	Thu 9	Mon 6 Dec, 23:50 yellow	Wed 8 Dec, 11:05	00:00 · 13 h before
Valle de Arán	Thu 9	Mon 6 Dec, 23:50 yellow	Wed 8 Dec, 11:05	00:00 · 13 h before
Cordillera Cantábrica de León	Thu 9	Mon 6 Dec, 23:50 yellow	Wed 8 Dec, 11:34	09:00 · 21 h before
Cordillera Cantábrica de Palencia	Thu 9	Mon 6 Dec, 23:50 yellow	Wed 8 Dec, 11:34	09:00 · 21 h before
Prelitoral norte de Tarragona	Thu 9	Tue 7 Dec, 11:46 yellow	Wed 8 Dec, 21:43	00:00 · 2 h before
Gipuzkoa interior	Thu 9	Tue 7 Dec, 11:46 yellow	Wed 8 Dec, 21:44	00:00 · 2 h before
Gipuzkoa litoral	Thu 9	Mon 6 Dec, 23:50 yellow	Wed 8 Dec, 21:44	00:00 · 2 h before
Vertiente cantábrica de Navarra	Thu 9	Mon 6 Dec, 23:50 yellow	Wed 8 Dec, 21:44	00:00 · 2 h before
Litoral norte de Tarragona	Thu 9	Tue 7 Dec, 11:46 yellow	Wed 8 Dec, 22:08	00:00 · 112 min before
Pirineo navarro	Thu 9	Mon 6 Dec, 23:50 yellow	11:06	12:00 · 54 min before
Gipuzkoa interior	Fri 10	Tue 7 Dec, 23:50 yellow	Wed 8 Dec, 23:03	00:00 · 25 h before
Gipuzkoa litoral	Fri 10	Tue 7 Dec, 23:50 yellow	Wed 8 Dec, 23:03	00:00 · 25 h before

And 14 more zone-days.

The full timeline: 46 changes at orange or red

Mon 6 December

23:50 Pirineo oscense: Issues a orange snow warning: Thursday 9, all day. 20 cm of snow in 24 h.

Wed 8 December

10:58 Cordillera Cantábrica de Burgos, Norte de Burgos: Raises the DH warning to orange: Thursday 9, 08:00–24:00.
11:05 Cinco Villas de Zaragoza: Raises the snow warning to orange: Thursday 9, 00:00–15:00. 5 cm of snow in 24 h.
11:05 Valle de Arán: Raises the snow warning to orange: Thursday 9, 00:00–18:00. 20 cm of snow in 24 h.
11:34 Cordillera Cantábrica de León, Cordillera Cantábrica de Palencia: Raises the DH warning to orange: Thursday 9, 09:00–24:00.
21:43 Prelitoral norte de Tarragona: Raises the wind warning to orange: Thursday 9, 00:00–02:00. Gusts up to 90 km/h.
21:44 Gipuzkoa interior, Gipuzkoa litoral, Vertiente cantábrica de Navarra: Raises the rain warning to orange: Thursday 9, all day. Up to 80 mm in 12 h.
22:08 Litoral norte de Tarragona: Raises the wind warning to orange: Thursday 9, 00:00–02:00. Gusts up to 90 km/h.
22:08 Prelitoral norte de Tarragona: Lowers the wind warning to yellow: Thursday 9, all day. Gusts up to 80 km/h.
23:03 Gipuzkoa interior, Gipuzkoa litoral, Vertiente cantábrica de Navarra: Raises the rain warning to orange: Friday 10, all day. Up to 80 mm in 12 h.
23:03 Interior norte de Castellón: Raises the wind warning to orange: Friday 10, 06:00–24:00. Gusts up to 100 km/h.
23:03 Prelitoral norte de Tarragona: Raises the wind warning to orange: Friday 10, 06:00–18:00. Gusts up to 90 km/h.
23:03 Prelitoral sur de Tarragona: Raises the wind warning to orange: Friday 10, 06:00–24:00. Gusts up to 90 km/h.

Thu 9 December

10:52 Valle de Arán: Raises the snow warning to orange: Friday 10, 16:00–24:00. 20 cm of snow in 24 h.
10:58 Interior sur de Castellón: Raises the wind warning to orange: Friday 10, 06:00–20:00. Gusts up to 100 km/h.
11:06 Pirineo navarro, Vertiente cantábrica de Navarra: Raises the DH warning to orange: Thursday 9, 12:00–24:00.
11:26 Interior de Mallorca: Issues a orange wind warning: Friday 10, 08:00–24:00. Gusts up to 90 km/h.
17:58 Pirineo navarro: Raises the avalanches warning to orange: Thursday 9, 18:00–24:00.
17:58 Pirineo navarro: Raises the avalanches warning to orange: Friday 10, 00:00–07:00.
17:59 Pirineo oscense, Valle de Arán: Raises the avalanches warning to orange: Thursday 9, 18:00–24:00.
17:59 Pirineo oscense, Valle de Arán: Raises the avalanches warning to orange: Friday 10, 00:00–06:00.
18:21 Pirineo oscense, Valle de Arán: Extends the orange avalanches warning: now until 07:00 on Friday 10.
20:50 Valle de Arán: Brings the orange snow warning forward: now from 10:00 on Friday 10. 20 cm of snow in 24 h.
21:16 Gipuzkoa interior, Gipuzkoa litoral: Shortens the orange rain warning: now until 08:00 on Friday 10. Up to 80 mm in 12 h.
21:16 Vertiente cantábrica de Navarra: Shortens the orange rain warning: now until 12:00 on Friday 10. Up to 80 mm in 12 h.
23:39 Valle de Arán: Brings the orange snow warning forward: now from 00:00 on Friday 10. 20 cm of snow in 24 h.

Fri 10 December

08:05 Norte y nordeste de Mallorca: Raises the wind warning to orange: Friday 10, 09:00–24:00. Gusts up to 100 km/h.
08:37 Litoral norte de Tarragona: Raises the wind warning to orange: Friday 10, 09:00–24:00. Gusts up to 90 km/h.
08:37 Litoral sur de Tarragona: Raises the wind warning to orange: Friday 10, 09:00–24:00. Gusts up to 100 km/h.
08:37 Pirineo oscense: Raises the snow warning to orange: Friday 10, 12:00–24:00. 20 cm of snow in 24 h.
09:47 Cordillera Cantábrica de Burgos, Norte de Burgos: Raises the DH warning to orange: Friday 10, 10:00–19:00.
09:52 Pirineo navarro: Raises the DH warning to orange: Friday 10, 10:00–24:00.
09:52 Vertiente cantábrica de Navarra: Lowers the rain warning to yellow: Friday 10, 10:00–24:00. Up to 60 mm in 12 h.
22:23 Prelitoral sur de Tarragona: Lowers the wind warning to yellow: Friday 10, 23:00–24:00. Gusts up to 80 km/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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