Severe rain and hail storm hits Terra Alta and Ribera d'Ebre

The grape harvest campaign is threatened by torrential rains and intense hailstorms in the Ebro regions.

Rain and hail storm over vineyards in Terra Alta during the harvest.
IA

Rain and hail storm over vineyards in Terra Alta during the harvest.

An intense rain and hail storm struck Terra Alta and Ribera d'Ebre on Monday afternoon, dropping up to 15 liters per square meter in some areas and causing concern among winegrowers.

The weather brought torrential rains and hailstorms in just a few minutes to several towns in the Ebro regions. The municipalities of Vilalba dels Arcs and Batea were among the most affected by the storm. The situation is causing concern during the ongoing grape harvest, as winegrowers fear potential damage to the vineyards.
The Meteorological Service of Catalonia (SMC) has raised the alert level in the Terres de l'Ebre. The Ribera d'Ebre is under a red alert, while Terra Alta and Baix Ebre have a yellow alert activated. The SMC warned of a severe weather episode between 2:50 PM and 4:50 PM, with maximum danger (6 out of 6).
Forecasts included the possibility of hailstones larger than two centimeters, wind gusts exceeding 90 km/h, downbursts, and even potential tornadoes or waterspouts. The locally intense showers could be associated with these extreme phenomena. In the Ribera d'Ebre, hailstones up to five centimeters in size were reported in towns like Móra d'Ebre.