Catalonia is currently enduring its rainiest winter in Catalonia for three decades. This meteorological anomaly has seen water reserves in internal basins surge past 90%. Consequently, following years of drought concern, the region has been battered by extraordinary precipitation and snowfall. Therefore, this defies the typical dry trends associated with the season.
In the past month alone, six high-impact storms have swept across the region. Meanwhile, the latest, Storm Leonardo, arrived just this week. The intensity of the season is such that the official list of storm names for southwestern Europe is already half-exhausted. However, the season is only halfway through.
Your browser does not support the video tag.Home » Rainiest Winter in Catalonia: Record Rainfall and Reservoir Recovery
An Exceptional Deluge for the Rainiest Winter in Catalonia
Not since the period between 1995 and 1997—and before that, isolated years in the 1970s—has Catalonia witnessed such sustained winter rainfall. Usually, this is one of the driest times of the year. Yet February still lies ahead, promising potentially more precipitation.
According to experts, the cause lies in the behaviour of the polar vortex and the jet stream. The polar vortex, a mass of cold stratospheric air circling the North Pole, has weakened. This weakness allows cold air to plunge further south. Simultaneously, the jet stream—the high-altitude wind current that steers storms—has shifted to lower latitudes.
Marc Prohom, head of climatology at the Servei Meteorològic de Catalunya (Meteocat), explained the phenomenon to local media.
“We have had an anomalous situation for many weeks, and this causes storms to circulate at lower latitudes. It is an infrequent fact, not exceptional, but it is causing an unstable and very rainy winter in our area, when this time is usually dry.”Marc Prohom, Meteocat
Breaking Historical Records During the Rainiest Winter
The relentless rain has toppled long-standing records across the region. According to the Informe climàtic mensual del Servei Meteorològic de Catalunya (gener 2026), several observatories have logged their wettest December and January period since records began in the mid-20th century.
- Palafrugell (Baix Empordà): Recorded 368 l/m², the highest since data collection began in 1950.
- Granollers (Vallès Oriental): Recorded 308 l/m², also a record for the 76-year period.
- Girona: With 442 l/m², the city is experiencing its second-wettest winter period on record.
Even historic stations with over a century of data, such as the Ebro Observatory and Barcelona’s Fabra Observatory, have registered their fourth and fifth rainiest winters respectively. In addition, the situation in the Pyrenees is equally stark. Snow depths there reach between two and three metres at high altitudes. These are levels unseen for decades.
A Climate Anomaly Amidst the Rainiest Winter
While the rain has been welcomed for replenishing water stocks, climatologists warn against viewing this as a reversal of climate change trends. Projections consistently point towards drier, more anticyclonic winters for the region.
“If the situation we are living were a movie, the phenomenon of this winter would be a frame that probably would not represent the whole movie,” Prohom noted. However, he added that global warming may be intensifying the rainfall when it does occur. A warmer atmosphere holds more moisture. Therefore, when the meteorological setup favours storms—such as the recent easterly winds—the resulting accumulation of rain can be significantly higher than in the past.
Get all of the news delivered to your phone via our WhatsApp Broadcast Channel .
