Rain and Low Temperatures Mark the Start of Holy Week

The first days of Holy Week will be cooler and rainier in much of the Peninsula, as reported on Tuesday by the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) and Meteored. The state agency indicates that the rain will continue on Maundy Thursday, while the meteorological portal says that the stormy weather will extend throughout much of Holy Week.

Specifically, Aemet spokesman Rubén del Campo has pointed out that the likelihood of rain increases the further north one is on Maundy Thursday. Meanwhile, it decreases the further south one goes. In this regard, he has reminded that there is still a long way to go until this date, making it "difficult to make a reliable forecast."

"The first days of Holy Week 2025 appear unstable due to the presence of storm Olivier, which before these days will bring heavy rains this Wednesday and Thursday in the Canary Islands," added Del Campo in a video.

Thus, he explained that Olivier will approach the Peninsula and bring a rainy first weekend of Holy Week to many areas of the country, especially in the southern and western parts of the Peninsula. Temperatures will be mild but somewhat lower.

Meanwhile, Meteored meteorologist José Miguel Viñas has stated that the stormy and more wintry weather will extend throughout much of Holy Week. In this way, he noted that storm Olivier will thus initiate a new episode of rain and storms starting Wednesday in the Canary Islands and Thursday on the Peninsula.

The first rains directly associated with Olivier will occur in La Palma around 2:00 PM, although the archipelago will record prior precipitation during that early morning and morning from a weak front of another storm.

According to Viñas, Olivier's rains will quickly spread from west to east across the archipelago from that point in the afternoon. Thus, they will lead to a significant episode of widespread and abundant precipitation, which will leave very notable accumulations on the islands of La Palma, El Hierro, and Tenerife, where in some areas more than 100 litres per square metre may be exceeded.

Olivier will move northward throughout Thursday morning, heading towards the west of the Peninsula. According to the Meteored meteorologist, a very active front associated with it will bring locally heavy rain and storms to Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura that day, while atmospheric instability will persist in the rest of the archipelago, with showers and gusty winds. During the second half of the day, the precipitation will decrease.

Simultaneously, cloud cover will increase in the Peninsula, where the atmosphere will begin to destabilise. During Thursday morning, some showers will occur in mountainous areas of the northeastern Peninsula. In the afternoon, they will also be recorded in the interior of the Peninsula and in the west due to the proximity of Olivier.

On the other hand, reservoirs have started April at 73.8% of their capacity and already store 41,347 cubic hectometres after gaining 0.9% in the last week (490 hm3 more) according to data from the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (Miteco). The Segura remains at the bottom of the list and is at 28.3% of its capacity. Overall, they are 10 points above where they were a year ago (63%).

During the week, precipitation has been abundant in the Atlantic basin and has significantly affected the Mediterranean basin. The maximum occurred in Navacerrada with 100.8 litres per square metre. The Atlantic basin is at 74.3% and the Mediterranean at 72.1%.

All basins except the Segura are above 50%. The basins with the most stored water, above 70%, are the Eastern Cantabrian, which is at 87.7%; the Western Cantabrian, at 80.6%; the Miño-Sil, at 77.7%; Galicia Coast, at 76.8%; the Internal Basins of the Basque Country, at 95.2%; the Duero, at 86%; the Tagus, at 82.6%; the Tinto, Odiel, and Piedras, at 93%; and the Ebro, at 85.8%.

The basins below 70% are the Guadiana, which is at 68.5%; Guadalete-Barbate, at 54.6%; the Guadalquivir, at 60.2%; the Andalusian Mediterranean Basin, at 53.8%; the Júcar, at 61.7%; the Internal Basins of Catalonia, at 64.3%; and finally, the Segura, which is at 28.3%.