Government urges 'maximum caution' ahead of heavy rain

Meteocat and Civil Protection have urged "maximum caution" starting Monday at noon due to the risk of "intense and locally significant" rainfall. 

Meteocat director Sarai Sarroca explained that rain is expected across Catalonia, with the most intense downpours anticipated along the coast and in pre-coastal areas.

According to Sarroca, the downpours will "intensify" this Monday between 12 pm and 2 pm.

In response, Civil Protection plans to send ES-Alerts to restrict mobility in the event of torrential rain in specific areas, explained Sergio Delgado, the deputy director of Civil Protection.

Regarding rail services, the Minister of the Interior, Núria Parlon noted that the situation will be monitored to determine if any service suspensions are necessary, similar to the action taken on Saturday regarding the R2 South line, though she added that such a scenario is not currently in place.

Sarroca noted that some models suggest the rain could be particularly heavy late Monday, specifically between the central coast and the Costa Brava, but since not all models agree, a decision has been made to wait for a more precise forecast.

In the morning, "rough sea conditions" were forecast in the Terres de l'Ebre and Costa Daurada regions. By the afternoon, "very heavy" rainfall is expected, particularly in the area stretching from Baix Camp to Maresme.

The Meteocat director detailed three active weather risk alerts: rainfall accumulations of up to 40 mm in 30 minutes, 60 mm in 3 hours, and over 100 mm in 24 hours. Given this, she strongly advised "maximum caution" from Monday at noon until Tuesday at noon.

An assessment was also provided regarding this weekend's rainfall. Sarroca noted that there were no downpours of "great intensity" on Sunday, describing the precipitation instead as a "steady, persistent rain."

The deputy director of Civil Protection Prevention, Joan Ramon Cabellos, expressed regret over the death of a woman in the Cabrera de Mar stream. He stated that all other incidents this Sunday were "very minor," affecting roads, rail services, and the airport, where some flights were cancelled and others diverted.

Missing woman found dead Monday morning

At around 11:00 am Monday, the Catalan Fire Brigade located the body of a woman who had gone missing in Cabrera de Mar Saturday evening. A crew surveying the coastline discovered the body in the sea, near the breakwater of the Premià de Mar port. 

The recovery operation was carried out jointly with the police, who retrieved the body using their boat and confirmed it was the missing woman. 

The victim, a 35-year-old from Malgrat de Mar, was leaving the town’s sports pavilion with her family after watching a basketball game. She attempted to cross the stream, fell in, and was swept away by the water. An item of her clothing and a handbag had previously been found near the mouth of the stream.

The Fire Brigade deployed 18 units, comprising 78 people, who worked throughout the night, the early morning hours, and into the morning.

The mayor of Cabrera de Mar, Òscar Fernández, confirmed that the body was found at the port of Premià, near the breakwater, and expressed his municipality's condolences. 

He took the opportunity to urge the public to heed the alerts issued by the Catalan government and local municipal authorities. 

"A heavy downpour should never be underestimated, a flash flood can lead to fatal consequences, as we have witnessed today,” he said. 

Fernández stated that a day of mourning and a joint minute of silence across both municipalities would be announced shortly, as the victim was a resident of Malgrat de Mar. 

The mayor also explained that a request had been made for people not to leave the municipal facility where a basketball game was taking place.