During the 10-day period from Oct. 26 through Nov. 4, 2024, parts of central-eastern and southern Spain saw unusually heavy flooding that resulted in heavy infrastructure damage and over 200 fatalities, according to the Associated Press.

In this animation, NASA’s IMERG multi-satellite data product shows estimated rain rates (blue/yellow shading) and accumulations (green/purple shading) from the flooding rainfall. Cloudiness is also shown in white/gray shading, from geosynchronous infrared satellite observations.

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The flooding was caused by heavy rainfall from an upper-level low pressure system that stalled to the south of Spain. This low-pressure system was accompanied by a low-level easterly wind jet over the Mediterranean Sea and central-eastern Spain (seen in output from the U.S. National Weather Service’s GFS model analysis, visualized here on Oct. 30, 2024 at 0000 UTC, during some of the heaviest rainfall). Sea surface temperatures (SSTs) over much of the western Mediterranean Sea were above average for this time of year, according to the NASA’s Multiscale Ultrahigh Resolution data product. These warm SSTs, combined with the strong easterly wind jet, provided a moisture source for the rainfall over central-eastern Spain.

By the end of the day on Nov. 4, IMERG estimated accumulations to the west of Valencia, where the worst flooding was reported, at over 100 mm (~4 inches; light purple shading), with isolated locations over 200 mm (~8 inches; dark purple shading). Southern Spain near Sevilla saw similar accumulations during the same time period. The rainfall accumulation patterns estimated from IMERG were broadly consistent with surface observations reported by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, as well as a preliminary gauge data analysis from Prof. Francisco J. Tapiador, Universidad de Castilla - La Mancha, though IMERG totals in some areas were higher than surface observations. 

Credit:

Animation and story by Jason West (KBR/GSFC)