Weather tracker: ‘Cold drop’ to cause heavy rain in Spain | Extreme weather

Spain is set to experience an extraordinary weather event this week, with severe rainfall forecasted, particularly along the eastern coast. Regions such as Valencia, Catalonia, Murcia, and eastern Andalucía could get more than 150mm of rain within just 24 hours on Tuesday, which is more than seven times the typical average for this month. Gibraltar is also expected to experience significant rainfall, with totals exceeding 40mm.

The intense downpour is likely due to a phenomenon known as a gota fría, or “cold drop”, which occurs when cold air moves over the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea. This seasonal occurrence creates atmospheric instability, causing warm, saturated air to rise rapidly, leading to the formation of towering cumulonimbus clouds in a matter of hours, dumping heavy rain across eastern parts of Spain.

A gota fría is officially known as a “depresión aislada en niveles altos” (“Dana” to Spanish meteorologists) which translates as “isolated depression at high altitudes”. While this weather pattern can result in torrential rainfall, hail, thunderstorms, and severe flooding, the exact areas affected can be difficult to predict, as gota fría events are often very localised.

Meanwhile, unusually high night-time temperatures are expected across the US this week. Overnight lows are expected to exceed 20C in cities, including Chicago, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Fort Worth – more than 9C above the seasonal average. This unexpected warmth is attributed to a southerly airflow drawing warm air up from the Gulf of Mexico.

In the north Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Kong-rey is tracking north-westwards, and is likely to pass by Taiwan early this week, potentially making landfall on Thursday morning. The storm is currently strengthening rapidly and has the potential to develop into a typhoon. Kong-rey is forecasted to bring heavy rain and strong winds, with totals exceeding 300mm in northern Taiwan and 150mm in other areas, posing a significant risk of severe flooding and disruption, and wind gusts could reach over 100mph. However, at this stage it is important to note that the exact track of Kong-rey is uncertain, and its positioning can quickly change over the next few days.