Polar snap set to stay for a week

First it was the flu and now it is a polar snap. Winter has descended upon us with all its artillery firing and from today that will become more evident than ever with the arrival of a deep front that will bring gales and snow to the Pyrenees and a marked drop in temperatures across the country. The cold weather will continue throughout the coming week. There are no predictions of major storms nor complete collapse, but the meteorological service has issued warnings that temperatures will drop well below normal in coming days.

One of the causes of the steep fall in temperature is the strong cold wind blowing from the north which will be felt especially in the northern and southern-most ends of the coast and the Pyrenees. A recently launched website which offers exclusive information on weather in the higher mountain areas, explained yesterday that the air temperature and wind combined will result in a wind-chill factor that could reach -33ºC in the Vall d'Aran.

The forecast suggests that snow will make an appearance today in the western Pyrenees with thicknesses that could vary between five and 15 centimeters and tomorrow that will spread across the rest of the Pyrenees and make its presence felt at lower altitudes. Heading into next week, falls may even find their way into areas which are usually free of snow. As a result, the civil defence service yesterday issued several warnings with recommendations to minimise the effects of the cold spell. One of the main concerns is the high winds forecast and the service has asked that people remove objects which could fall into the street from windows and other parts of buildings. It also advises the public to take special care to children, the elderly and those with respiratory problems.