ClimavisoRain and storms across much of Spain, 2–4 September 2023
2 September 2023 to 4 September 2023. Updated 26 October 2026.
Over 3 days, 64 of Spain's 182 warning zones had an orange or red warning for rain and storms: 89 zone-days at orange or red, 5 of them red. The day with the most zones at orange or red was 2 September, with 44 zones.
2 September was the day with the most people in zones under an orange or red warning: 22.5 million people live there (INE municipal register, 2025).
How it compares
- It is number 41 of 119 episodes since June 2018 by zone-days at orange or red.
- Among the 35 rain episodes, it is number 5.
- There hadn't been a rain episode this widespread since September 2019.
Day by day
| Day | Red | Orange | Yellow | Orange or red warnings for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 2 September | — | 44 | 76 | rain, storms |
| Sun 3 September | 5 | 30 | 56 | rain, storms, wind |
| Mon 4 September | — | 10 | 38 | rain, storms, wind |
Zones with a warning each day, at their highest level that day.
The zones
And 83 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: 155.0 l/m² of rain in 24 h at San Rafael (Sistema Central de Segovia) on 3 September; a 115 km/h gust at La Pinilla, Estación de Esquí (Sistema Central de Segovia) on 3 September.
| Zone | Most rain in 24 h | Strongest gust |
|---|---|---|
| Sistema Central de Segovia | 155.0 l/m² San Rafael · 3 September | 115 km/h La Pinilla, Estación de Esquí · 3 September |
| Campiña gaditana | 119.6 l/m² San José del Valle · 3 September | 46 km/h Medina Sidonia · 3 September |
| Prelitoral sur de Tarragona | 105.8 l/m² Estación de Tortosa (roquetes) · 2 September | 55 km/h Cabacés · 3 September |
| Sur de Ávila | 93.2 l/m² Cebreros · 3 September | 55 km/h Candeleda · 3 September |
| Valle del Tajo | 90.4 l/m² Toledo · 3 September | 105 km/h Toledo · 3 September |
| Litoral norte de Valencia | 86.0 l/m² Valencia Aeropuerto · 2 September | 65 km/h Valencia Aeropuerto · 3 September |
| Sierra de Madrid | 83.2 l/m² Rascafría · 3 September | 59 km/h Robledo de Chavela · 3 September |
| La Mancha toledana | 80.4 l/m² Mora · 3 September | 72 km/h Madridejos · 3 September |
| La Mancha conquense | 78.8 l/m² Alberca de Zancara · 2 September | 77 km/h San Clemente · 3 September |
| Litoral sur de Valencia | 78.4 l/m² Polinyà de Xúquer · 2 September | 48 km/h Carcaixent · 3 September |
| Centro de Navarra | 77.6 l/m² Irurtzun · 2 September | 76 km/h Monreal/elo · 4 September |
| Interior norte de Castellón | 75.8 l/m² La Pobla de Benifassà-Fredes · 3 September | 64 km/h Morella · 3 September |
| Sistema Central de Ávila | 72.2 l/m² Puerto del Pico · 3 September | 50 km/h Gotarrendura · 2 September |
| Pirineo navarro | 69.4 l/m² Valcarlos/luzaide · 2 September | 45 km/h Isaba/izaba · 2 September |
| Metropolitana y Henares | 68.2 l/m² San Sebastián de los Reyes · 3 September | 49 km/h Arganda del Rey · 3 September |
| Sur, Vegas y Oeste | 61.5 l/m² Aranjuez · 2 September | 45 km/h Aranjuez · 3 September |
| Montes de Toledo | 54.6 l/m² Navahermosa · 3 September | 37 km/h San Pablo de los Montes · 3 September |
| Vegas del Guadiana | 51.2 l/m² Mérida · 2 September | 72 km/h Mérida · 2 September |
| Sierra de San Vicente * | 48.0 l/m² Castillo de Bayuela · 3 September | no reading |
| Vertiente cantábrica de Navarra | 45.4 l/m² Baztan, Irurita · 2 September | 22 km/h Baztan, Irurita · 2 September |
And 42 more zones with an orange or red warning.
* 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 5 zone-days. AEMET issued it ahead of time in 4 of them (median: 8 h) and for the current hour in the other 1: warnings are also raised as things unfold. The first warning of any level for those same days had come a median 47 h earlier.
| Zone | Day | First warning | Red issued | For · notice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Mancha toledana | Sun 3 | Thu 31 Aug, 23:50 yellow | Sat 2 Sep, 22:54 | 12:00 · 13 h before |
| Sur, Vegas y Oeste | Sun 3 | Thu 31 Aug, 23:50 yellow | Sat 2 Sep, 22:54 | 12:00 · 13 h before |
| Metropolitana y Henares | Sun 3 | Thu 31 Aug, 23:50 yellow | 08:26 | 12:00 · 4 h before |
| Sierra de Madrid | Sun 3 | Fri 1 Sep, 11:32 yellow | 08:26 | 12:00 · 4 h before |
| Campiña gaditana | Sun 3 | Fri 1 Sep, 11:32 yellow | 12:46 | 12:00 · for the current hour |
The full timeline: 213 changes at orange or red
Only the changes involving red are listed: there were 213 in all.
Sat 2 September
- La Mancha toledana, Sur, Vegas y Oeste: Raises the rain warning to red: Sunday 3, 12:00–24:00. Up to 120 mm in 12 h.
Sun 3 September
- Metropolitana y Henares, Sierra de Madrid: Raises the rain warning to red: Sunday 3, 12:00–24:00. Up to 120 mm in 12 h.
- Campiña gaditana: Raises the rain warning to red: Sunday 3, 13:00–15:00. Up to 120 mm in 12 h.
- La Mancha toledana, Metropolitana y Henares, Sierra de Madrid: Lowers the rain warning to orange: Sunday 3, 19:00–24:00. Up to 80 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.
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