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News, October, 2005News Theme, Autumn in Spain and the WeatherDuring August, the main news concerning the weather was the extreme heat and forest fires, causing loss of life as well as much damage to property. In September the main topic is late summer storms. But the most widely feared phenomenon is known as the 'Gota Fría'. As Autumn arrives, so do (normally) calmer rains, finally bringing water back to rivers, reservoirs and on to end users. Hurrican Vince this October was (so far) a unique phenomenon. The Gota Fría is particularly of concern to people living close to the Mediterranean in Catalonia and Valencia and sometimes elsewhere. Flash floods cause turmoil and loss of property, occasionally also loss of life. Sadly also, they rarely put the water where it is needed and we have to await later Autumn rains to alleviate the drought conditions. This year, hurricane Vince, which crossed the entire peninsula from Huelva in the south west to the Costa Brava, brought even worse conditions to Catalonia in particular. In one day Santa Cristina d'Aro, on the Costa Brava, had six months' worth of rain, a total of 13 inches. It is unheard of for a hurrican to develop close to Madeira and head north east to the Iberian peninsula. But in an age of increasing extreme weather phenomena, who knows what will come next? |