Authorities in Spain’s Catalonia region announced on Wednesday the suspension of school classes and sporting events as Storm Nils, the eighth consecutive storm to affect the country in recent weeks, brought forecasts of strong winds across the region.
The regional government said the measures, which take effect Thursday, were adopted following warnings from the Meteorological Service of Catalonia (Meteocat), which forecast winds of “maximum category” intensity across all counties, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
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Officials warned that gusts could pose “extreme risks” and urged residents to work from home when possible and limit outdoor activity.
Spain’s meteorological agency said Nils is expected to bring very strong wind gusts across large parts of the country, rough seas and rainfall, with snowfall at higher elevations through Wednesday and Thursday.
Already, wind gusts have reached 140 kilometers (87 miles) per hour in Barcelona, according to Meteocat.
The latest storm follows weeks of extreme weather across Spain and Portugal.
Last week, southern Spain was battered by an intense storm system that triggered widespread flooding in Andalusia, forcing thousands of evacuations and resulting in two deaths. Rivers burst their banks, transport links were disrupted and entire neighborhoods were temporarily cut off.
On Tuesday, Spain’s government declared affected areas emergency zones following the recent floods.
Environment Minister Sara Aagesen urged caution ahead of Nils, describing recent weather systems as “increasingly extreme and virulent” and calling for a “united and collective response.”
“We must take into account that the episode is not over and rainfall continues,” she said. “We are seeing increasingly extreme phenomena, more virulent, and we know this is the result of the climate emergency.”
