Flow Rate Jumps 358-Fold in 24 Hours

The Besòs River was flowing at over 930 cubic metres per second in Santa Coloma de Gramenet on Sunday morning, according to the Catalan Water Agency (ACA), marking a 358-fold increase from its flow rate of just over 2.6 cubic metres per second at 06:30 on Saturday. This surge follows intense rainfall across the central Catalan coast. At its peak, the river reached a height of 3.6 metres in the fluvial park, just 40 centimetres below the channeling wall’s capacity. The ACA confirmed the river has surpassed its danger threshold, raising an imminent risk of flooding in low-lying areas.

Civil Protection Issues Urgent Alerts

Protecció Civil issued an ES-Alert at 08:27 to mobile phones in the Besòs estuary zone, advising residents to move to upper floors if necessary, avoid basements and low-lying zones, and stay away from the riverbed. The alert covers Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Montcada i Reixac, Sant Adrià de Besòs, and parts of Barcelona. All access points to the Parc Fluvial del Besòs have been closed due to the high water levels. The park, which runs along the final stretch of the river, is managed by the Diputació de Barcelona in coordination with the ACA and local councils.

Water Levels Begin to Subside Slightly

By around 09:00, the discharge rate had decreased to 686 cubic metres per second, with the water level measured at 3.15 metres at the ACA monitoring point in Santa Coloma. While this indicates a downward trend, authorities stress the situation remains critical. Earlier, at 03:00, the river was already moving at 520 cubic metres per second through Santa Coloma. Meanwhile, the Ripoll River, a key tributary, recorded 129 cubic metres per second as it passed through Montcada i Reixac, also exceeding the alert threshold. In the Llobregat basin to the south, the Rubí stream saw a similar spike, rising from 2.9 to 168 cubic metres per second between 21:00 on Saturday and 03:00 on Sunday. However, the Llobregat River itself is currently managing the inflow without reaching danger levels.

Residents are urged to follow official alerts and avoid all contact with the river until further notice.

Primary sources: Subdirecció de prevenció i avaluació, dsp.interior.gencat.cat. Reported by elperiodico.com, gramenet.cat, en.wikipedia.org, Newsroom Infobae, diaridetarragona.com, VilaWeb Feed, beteve.cat, THE OBJECTIVE @TheObjective_es, ajuntamentinforma.gramenet.cat, refugibiodiversitat.gramenet.cat, El Periódico Barcelona.