Emergency Measures Ended at 14:00 Sunday

Protecció Civil has lifted mobility restrictions that were in place across 20 Catalan comarcas following an exceptional weather event. The emergency phase of the INUNCAT flood plan was deactivated at 14:00 on Sunday, 4 October 2026. The restrictions had been enforced from 20:00 on Saturday, 3 October, after Protecció Civil raised the Pla Especial d'Emergències per Inundacions de Catalunya (INUNCAT) to emergency level due to the threat of torrential rains, flash floods and strong winds.

Widespread Precautions During Storm Risk

During the alert period, residents in affected areas were advised to remain indoors and avoid all non-essential travel. The 20 comarcas included Barcelonès, Baix Llobregat, Maresme, Vallès Occidental, Vallès Oriental, Tarragonès, Alt Empordà and Ripollès. An ES-Alert message was sent via mobile phones in these regions as part of the emergency notification system, advising people to stay away from rivers, streams, gullies and low-lying zones, and not to cross flooded roads or underpasses.

Residents should continue exercising maximum caution, especially near watercourses where conditions may remain hazardous.

Authorities reported that some areas in the Terres de l’Ebre received over 240 litres of rain per square metre. The Servei Meteorològic de Catalunya (Meteocat) had warned of potential accumulations exceeding 200 litres per square metre within six hours, with rates of up to 40 litres in 30 minutes.

Events and Activities Suspended

  • All outdoor and indoor cultural, sporting and leisure events involving movement were suspended.
  • Activities in parks, gardens, natural spaces, markets, fairs and flood-prone areas were halted.
  • The Castells competition in Tarragona was among the events impacted during the restriction window.

System Designed for Rapid Public Warning

The use of the ES-Alert system reflects procedures tested in previous exercises, including a mobile emergency alert trial conducted on 14 September 2023 across Barcelonès and surrounding regions. This system allows authorities to send geolocated warnings directly to mobile devices in threatened areas. Protecció Civil operates under the Department of Interior of the Generalitat de Catalunya, coordinating regional civil protection plans such as INUNCAT and INFOCAT for floods and forest fires respectively.

Primary sources: dsp.interior.gencat.cat, interior.gencat.cat, Direcció General de Protecció Civil. Departament Interior. Generalitat de Catalunya, Generalitat de Catalunya. Departament Interior. Reported by catnoticias.es, diaridetarragona.com, elnacional.cat, ACN, catalunyapress.cat, protecciocivillleida.org, Europa Press, canalreus.cat.