Tail end of hurricane in Madeira provokes a rainy outlook for Thursday

THE National Met Office warned yesterday that a cold front will hit the Balearic Islands and Catalonia this Thursday, and that it could be accompanied by torrential rainstorms, bringing up to 50 litres of rain per square metre in some areas. A hurricane hit the Portuguese island of Madeira, yesterday, an occurrence which is to be seen as “unusual” a spokesman said yesterday.
The hurricane, named “Vince”, only lasted twelve hours before changing into a tropical storm.
The tail end of this hurricane, notably the rain, will reach the western part of Spain today, accompanied by an Atlantic cold front, the Met Office said. This hurricane “was an unusual phenomenon, because it happened in an area which is not prone to form hurricanes”, said the Head of Predictions, Angel Rivera. The Met Office has attributed this hurricane to an unusual increase in sea temperatures, which for a hurricane needs to be around 26 degrees, although further study is needed, the spokesman said. The cold Atlantic front and the remains from the hurricane will spark off abundant rain, which could be between 30 and 50 litres per square metre in certain areas and between 10 and 20 litres per square metre in the western parts of Spain today and tomorrow. The abundant rainfall will add to recent statistics this month, which have recorded an increase in rain when compared to the drier months of September and August. Furthermore, winds could reach between 40 and 60 kilometres per hour but will not be related to the hurricane.
On Thursday the weather front and the remains of the hurricane will arrive in the Balearic Islands, the Met Office said.