Young Forecaster Warns of Stormy Autumn in Spain

Jorge Rey, a young forecaster who has gained public attention for using traditional weather-prediction techniques, has issued a warning about Spain's upcoming autumn season. Rey bases his forecasts on cabañuelas, a centuries-old folk method that interprets current weather conditions to predict patterns months in advance.

According to Rey, this autumn will be characterised by particularly dangerous storm systems known as DANAs—an acronym referring to isolated depressions at high levels that can generate intense and sudden rainfall. He has described the expected storms as 'explosive,' suggesting they could develop rapidly and with considerable force.

Rey has also highlighted the risk of gotas frías, or 'cold drops,' a term used in Spain to describe sharp temperature declines that frequently accompany these severe storm systems. Such phenomena can lead to unpredictable and, at times, hazardous weather conditions across the country.

Notably, Spain's official meteorological body, AEMET, has issued its own warning, an action considered unusual given that it has come in the middle of August, traditionally one of the driest and most stable months of the year. This overlap between AEMET's alert and Rey's independent forecast has drawn additional attention to his predictions, despite their unconventional basis.

While Spain continues to experience intense summer heat, with many regions recording high temperatures typical of the season, Rey contends that conditions will shift markedly by October. He attributes this anticipated change to El Niño, a naturally occurring climate pattern that influences global weather systems through changes in ocean surface temperatures in the Pacific.

El Niño is widely recognised by climatologists as a factor capable of intensifying extreme weather events in various parts of the world, including Europe. Rey argues that this pattern will bring particularly hazardous DANAs to Spain during the autumn months, potentially increasing the risk of flooding and other storm-related disruptions.

Although Rey's methodology diverges significantly from conventional meteorological forecasting, which relies on data models and satellite observations, the timing of AEMET's own warning has lent a degree of credibility to concerns about a turbulent autumn. Authorities have not detailed specific measures, but the early alert suggests that preparations may already be underway ahead of the seasonal shift.