The wind storm that is hitting Catalonia has forced the suspension of the Rodalies launch trains between Terrassa and respectively. In addition, the fall of trees on the road has forced the suspension of traffic on the R4 between L’Hospitalet and Sant Feliu de Llobregat. The R11 and the R11 have also been interrupted due to large objects falling on the roads and an alternative service is being managed.
As of six in the morning, emergency services have received more than 1,300 calls. The Government decided yesterday to suspend all educational and sporting activities and non-urgent health interventions due to the worst windstorm in the last 15 years, according to the counselor. The worst part of the episode is expected to occur during the morning of this Thursday, until noon.
The storm alert affects all of Catalonia, but has a special impact on the metropolitan area of Barcelona and Tarragona. All non-urban parks and natural spaces have been closed, and the Government asks citizens to avoid “unnecessary travel” by recommending “teleworking whenever necessary.” What’s more, the Secretary of Labor of the Generalitat, Francisco Ramos, has signed an instruction reminding all Catalan employees that the Workers’ Statute allows them to have “paid leave of up to four days due to the impossibility of accessing the workplace or traveling through the necessary traffic routes to get there” as a result of the recommendations or
The Generalitat took an unprecedented measure yesterday, the closure of educational activity throughout Catalonia due to the wind. At six in the afternoon, he communicated through an ES Alert – the first also due to a gale – the measures adopted and the recommendations not to move if it was not necessary. In the city of Barcelona, the mayor, Jaume Collboni, also asked for extreme precautions due to the strong gusts of wind that are expected.
The maps paint the entire territory in red and orange, with an alert of six out of six. The director of the organization, Sarai Sarroca, warned that this is an unprecedented situation. “The most serious wind episode in the last 15 or 20 years.” And he referred to only two previous storms similar in intensity: the gale in 2009 in which four children died in Sant Boi de Llobregat due to the fall of a warehouse where they were training, and in 2014, in Terrassa, when two people died when a wall fell on them.
It is recommended to inform yourself about the weather forecasts and listen to the media. At home, it is necessary to close and secure doors and windows, lower blinds and collect awnings. In addition, it is urgent to remove flower pots and objects from windows that may fall onto the street. It is also recommended to keep an eye on motorcycles parked on the street, which may fall, as well as any element of street furniture. On the street, it is advisable to stay away from cornices, walls and trees that could fall, and pay special attention when passing near buildings under construction or in poor condition.
