en
EXTREME RAIN SOUTHERN SPAIN: DANA (GOTA FRIA)
The extreme rain in Southern Spain is caused by a phenomenon the Spanish call DANA (or Gota Fría).
The process is best compared to a red-hot pan into which you suddenly pour a glass of ice-cold water: that explosive "hissing" sound and the massive cloud of steam that arises is exactly what happens in the air above Andalusia. How does it work exactly? • The collision: The Mediterranean is very warm and releases a lot of moist, warm air. When a "bubble" of freezing polar air passes high in the atmosphere and gets stuck above that warm sea, a massive collision occurs. • Explosive clouds: That warm air rises rapidly against the cold air, creating massive thunderclouds in a short time that release gigantic amounts of water. • Stationary showers: Normally rain blows over, but with a DANA, that cold air bubble often stays in the exact same spot for days. The clouds keep refilling with seawater and empty themselves repeatedly over the same area. Is this normal? Yes and no. The phenomenon is a typical Mediterranean occurrence that has existed for centuries, usually in autumn or early spring. What is new, however, is the intensity. Due to global warming, the seawater has become warmer (more "fuel" for the clouds) and the cold air behaves more erratically. This makes the showers much heavier, more frequent, and more unpredictable than before.
Image gallery
Share
