The gota fría and DANA in Spain: why they cause floods

The gota fría and DANA in Spain: why they cause floods

Meteo Info Online team Reading time: 1 min

In autumn, the Spanish Mediterranean faces one of its most dangerous phenomena: the gota fría, now technically known as a DANA (an isolated upper-level low).

Why it rains so much

A pocket of cold air aloft arrives over a still-warm Mediterranean. The contrast generates very intense storms that dump months' worth of rain in a few hours, especially in the Valencia region, Murcia, Catalonia and the Balearics. The DANA of October 2024 in Valencia was one of the most tragic.

How to protect yourself

  • Heed the alerts from AEMET and Civil Protection.
  • Avoid dry riverbeds (ramblas), garages and low-lying areas; water rises very fast.
  • Do not drive through flooded roads: many victims are inside their cars.

Follow the rain radar to track how the storms evolve.