Strong winds in Catalonia injure 18 and cause over 1,000 incidents

Strong winds on Thursday left 18 people needing medical attention and triggered over 1,000 incidents across Catalonia.

Of those injured, 14 were taken to hospitals, 11 with minor injuries.

(In an update, authorities revised the number of people injured down from 26.)

By 11 pm, firefighters had responded to over 1,000 incidents, most involving fallen trees, branches, or street furniture.

The Barcelona metropolitan area recorded the highest number of incidents, over half of the total, followed by Central Catalonia and Tarragona.

The 112 emergency hotline received around 1,400 calls by 5 pm, most from Barcelona and Vallès Occidental. The municipalities with the most calls were Barcelona, Sabadell, and Sant Cugat.

There were also several power outages and infrastructure issues caused by the wind. Energy company Endesa reported that none were major.

The most significant outage occurred in Montblanc, Tarragona, affecting more than 4,000 customers, while another in Conca de Barberà left around 3,500 without service.

One of the most serious incidents took place in Anglesola, in the Urgell county of western Catalonia, where part of the roof of a sports pavilion was torn off and struck a nearby school.

According to firefighters, no students were injured, though they were frightened and had to be evacuated.

In Tàrrega, also in western Catalonia, the Vedruna school was evacuated as strong winds began lifting panels from the roof of the adjacent sports hall.

The R1 line of the Rodalies commuter network was closed between Hospitalet de Llobregat and Badalona stations after a tarpaulin came loose and fell on the tracks.

In addition, a minor secondary road between Sant Feliu de Buixalleu and Arbúcies was closed due to fallen trees.

Wind gusts of up to 132 km/h

The strong winds on Thursday produced high gusts across several weather observatories in Catalonia.

Portbou, in northern Catalonia near the French border, recorded a gust of 131.8 km/h, the highest of the day.

Puig Sesolles, a peak in the Montseny range at 1,668 metres above sea level, registered a maximum gust of 128.9 km/h.

Throughout the day, around ten observatories across the region recorded winds exceeding 85 km/h, most of them from the west.

Barcelona closes parks

Public parks and gardens in Barcelona remain closed on Thursday after the city council activated the Municipal Action Plan for strong winds.

The measure came after Civil Protection issued a VENTCAT wind alert for Barcelona and the surrounding area.

According to the meteorological service, wind gusts in the Catalan capital exceeded 70 km/h throughout the day.

Authorities recommend shutting doors and windows, lowering blinds, retracting awnings, and removing flowerpots and other items from windows and balconies.

When outdoors, the city council recommended staying clear of cornices, walls, and trees, and taking extra caution around buildings in poor condition or under construction, looking out for scaffolding or cranes.