Red weather alert issued for intense rainfall
The Meteorological Service of Catalonia (Meteocat) has issued a red alert, level 5 out of 6, for intense rainfall expected between 8 PM on Saturday 17 October and 2 AM on Sunday 18 October in the regions of Barcelonès, Vallès Occidental, Baix Llobregat, and Garraf. During this period, rainfall could exceed 40 millimetres in just 30 minutes, a level that poses a maximum danger of flash flooding, rapid water accumulation, and disruptions to transport and infrastructure. The alert applies to areas including Sant Cugat del Vallès, where local authorities have urged residents to avoid non-essential travel.
Two phases of severe weather
This evening's alert follows an earlier red warning in place from 2 PM to 8 PM affecting Vallès Oriental, Maresme, and Selva, where similar rainfall intensities were forecast. According to Meteocat, the risk in those areas will decrease after 8 PM, shifting to orange and yellow alerts. An orange alert also remains in effect for the same evening period due to the possibility of more than 90 millimetres of rain accumulating over three hours in the affected zones.
The situation is dynamic and requires maximum caution, especially near streams, urban drains, and low-lying roads.
Protecció Civil has activated emergency protocols and issued precautionary advice, including avoiding riverbanks and not driving through flooded areas. The public warning system ES-Alert may be used to send emergency messages to mobile phones in the affected comarques.
Transport disruptions expected
Rodalies de Catalunya has announced it will suspend services on the R2 Sud and Regional Sud lines from 10 PM Saturday due to the weather alert. Passengers are advised to check gencat.cat/rodalies for real-time updates. Local councils in the Vallès Occidental, including Sant Cugat, have suspended outdoor educational activities as a preventive measure. Schools and municipal services will reassess conditions on Sunday morning. Residents are advised to stay informed via the official Meteocat danger alert page, where live updates and maps are published.
Primary sources: Sant Cugat del Vallès. Reported by meteo.cat, t.co, democrata.es, Catalan News, lavanguardia.com, elperiodico.cat, rac1.cat, totrubi.cat, Europa Press Barcelona, 3CatInfo Barcelona, El Nacional, totsantcugat.cat, fmwripollet.cat, cronicaglobal.cat, Europa Press, Crónica Global, Crónica Global (CA), elperiodico.com, acn.cat, Línia Xarxa, TOT Sant Cugat.
