Spain hit by bizarre ‘mud rain’: Meteorologists reveal when the dusty showers will stop

You’re not the only one who has wondered what happened to your car when you looked at it this week. It looks as if it’s driven through a building site. Across large parts of Spain – especially

in the south – residents have been waking up to vehicles, terraces and streets coated in a thin layer of brown dust after overnight rain. The messy weather was caused by Saharan dust mixing up with Regina storm system.

This phenomenon is frustrating and familiar for many Spanish residents, including the thousands of foreigners who live along the Mediterranean coastline. After you’ve washed your car and it rains, by the morning the car is again covered in dried mud.

So what exactly is happening in the atmosphere – and when will Spain finally get normal rain again?

Spain’s muddy rain is a result of the Sahara

The weather conditions that caused the unusual rains to hit parts of Spain in this week were very specific.

A storm system named Regina The south of the Iberian Peninsula has seen a storm move across it, bringing rain, gusty wind and cooler temperatures. During the same period, a large cloud of dust from Sahara Desert travelled northward and is now suspended over Spain.

The rain droplets carry the sand down to the earth when they pass through dusty air. Instead of clear rainwater, what lands on cars, pavements and outdoor furniture is muddy rain – sometimes called “calima rain”.

Meteorologist José Miguel Viñas explained that a The weather The front that is moving across southern Spain has been dragging dusty showers all over the country. As long as the rain and Saharan sand coincide, mud will be produced.

Meteored’s weather platform also points out that this often occurs when Atlantic weatherfronts interact with warm and dusty airmasses coming from North Africa.

It’s not a rare event in Spain – but it always manages to catch people off guard.

What parts of Spain have been hit the most by the hurricane?

The most notable impact so far has been in Andalusia. Many towns in the region woke this week with cars covered in brown residue from overnight rain.

The weather system won’t be staying in the South.

Forecasts show that the muddy rain is likely to move gradually northwards from Castilla-La Mancha into Madrid, and Extremadura along with parts of Mediterranean coast are also likely see dusty showers.

For expats living along popular coastal areas like the Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca or Costa Cálida, this type of weather is something of a seasonal nuisance.

The hazy sky is caused by the dusty African air, known as calima in Spanish.

It can be shocking for newcomers when they experience their first muddy rain. One moment it looks like a perfectly normal shower, and the next morning the car – and everything else outdoors – looks as though it has been splashed with clay.

Meteorologists predict that the mudslide should end soon

The bad news is that it may not be long before the mud rain stops.

According to the meteorologists, this episode’s most intense phase occurred during the first part of the week when both the rainfall and concentration of Saharan Dust were particularly high.

Forecasts indicate that the muddy rain showers may continue into the weekend, particularly in areas where dust clouds remain in the air.

The situation should then gradually improve.

José Miguel Viñas explained that dust levels are expected to start falling, which means that although rain may continue in some areas, it will no longer carry the same amount of sand particles.

In practice, this means the rain that falls over the weekend will be cleaner even if the amount of rainfall is still high.

There is another storm system on its way

Another change in weather is predicted just as the dusty rainfall begins to subside.

Meteorologists are warning that a brand new storm system will be sweeping across the country. DANA (an isolated, high-level depression), could arrive on Saturday and bring fresh showers in parts of Spain during the weekend.

According to Rubén del Campo, spokesperson for Spain’s national weather agency AEMETStorm Regina will continue to affect most of the country, especially the southern and eastern areas, for the remainder of this week.

Heavy rains and storms could bring powerful gusts of winds capable of knocking over branches or loose items.

Forecasters also warned that sudden downpours and hail could temporarily disrupt traffic in some areas.

The incoming system is expected to bring more rain but not the same concentration of Saharan Dust.

Spanish weather: A messy but familiar phenomenon

The Mediterranean climate is known for its muddy rain, which can be a nuisance to long-term residents.

It tends to appear when dust from the Sahara drifts northwards and coincides with rainstorms – something that happens several times a year.

The first time expats see the sign, they are often surprised.

If there’s one thing that seasoned residents learn quickly, it’s to never wash your car during an episode of calima.

The next rain shower could undo your efforts by morning if the dust cloud does not disappear.