Flood alert issued ahead of Wednesday and Thursday rains

Civil Protection in Catalonia has activated a flood alert ahead of expected rain on Wednesday and Thursday.

Western Catalonia is expected to be hardest hit on Wednesday, with the coast and eastern areas, including Barcelona, affected on Thursday.

Meteocat weather service predicts that heavy rain will occur from 2 pm on Wednesday to 8 pm on Thursday.

During this period, rainfall could exceed 20 liters per square meter in less than 30 minutes.

Different areas face varying risk levels, with the maximum expected to reach only 3 out of 6.

How Catalonia's emergency alert system works

During periods of heavy rain, such as the one expected this week, the situation is constantly monitored by the Operational Coordination Center of Catalonia (CECAT) under the authority of Protecció Civil, which manages these warnings.

CECAT operators maintain constant communication with emergency services, including the 112 hotline, police, traffic authorities, firefighters, and meteorological agencies, to prepare for and manage major emergencies.

One of their key tools is the ES-Alert system, which has been active since 2023 and sends emergency notifications via the mobile phone network to all devices within a specified area.

Phones receive these alerts simultaneously and emit a loud, distinct sound to distinguish them from regular notifications. A detailed message then appears on the screen explaining what actions users should take.

The system can reach everyone in the targeted area within five minutes while avoiding sending alerts to unaffected neighboring regions and reducing unnecessary panic.

Most modern phones are preconfigured to receive these alerts and require no user action other than keeping the phone powered on.

Alerts are sent to everyone in the affected area, including residents and visitors, and are sent in Catalan, Spanish, and English to ensure the message is understood by all.

To learn more, listen to this episode of our podcast Filling the Sink.