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News, November '05News Theme, Autumn in Spain and the WeatherDuring September the main topic was late summer storms, the most widely feared phenomenon being 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. Snow makes its appearance on peaks in October and gradually becomes a more concerning issue on roads in November. Hurrican Vince this October was (so far) a unique phenomenon. But finally, in its wake, some normal rain has reached most areas of the country. 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 hurricane 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? |