Squall Amelie

winds of squall amelie

La squall amelie, the first named for the 2019-2020 season, was named by Météo France at 16:00 UTC (17 hours) on November 1, when France issued an orange-level gust warning from 03:00 UTC on day 3. For its part, AEMET issued a category 1 orange warning at 22:00 UTC (23:00 p.m.) on the same day, because the gusts in Galicia came into force at 23:00 UTC on the same day. two.

In this article we are going to tell you everything you need to know about the Amelie storm, its characteristics and consequences.

Squall Amelie

great storm

Since then, AEMET issued other warnings, both for coastal phenomena (reaching red levels in Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country) and in streaks, all in orange or yellow. After a quick passage through the Bay of Biscay, Amelie arrived in France causing havoc on days 3 and 4.

The Amelie storm was formed throughout November 2 by a process of explosive cyclogenesis over a large area of ​​low pressure in the North Atlantic, approximately at parallel 50ºN and meridian 20ºW, not far from Western Europe. Propelled by powerful jets at an altitude of about 180 knots, Amelie moved rapidly towards France, reaching France around 00.00 hours on the 3rd, especially over Brittany through its center.

That day, until dawn on the 4th, affected Western European countries, especially France. For the rest of day 4, Amelie was engulfed in a major storm that affected almost all of Europe, centered on the British Isles.

As far as Spain is concerned, due to the waves, strong winds and very strong gusts in the Bay of Biscay, even on the 3rd, the rapid passage of the Amelie storm, accompanied by a cold front on its southern side, mainly affected half north of the peninsula with heavy rains and showers from Galicia to the Pyrenees and the central and southern mountains. Amelie's influence reached the Balearic Islands later on the 4th, while the Canary Islands were not affected by her passage.

Storm Amelie Warnings

amelie squall

On the 3rd, the coastal phenomenon of Asturias, Cantabria and Vizcaya issued a red level alert, albeit briefly, because “strong winds of W 10 with gusts are expected. The joint sea level of the northwest rose punctually up to 8 m”. A notice of coast was issued for other areas of the Cantabrian coast, Galicia, Valencia, Alicante and Almería, while in other areas of the Mediterranean coast, including the Balearic Islands, a yellow warning was issued.

The streak warning has reached the orange level for Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, the Basque Country, Navarra, Catalonia, Castilla y León, Castilla Ria-La Mancha, the Valencian Community, Andalusia, Murcia and the Balearic Islands, the value is between 90 and 120 km / h depending on the region. No alert level was issued for other phenomena.

Main influence of Spain

victim by falling tree

The most notable impacts of the Amelie storm were associated with strong waves in the Bay of Biscay, with waves that reached an important height of 10 meters on Sunday and rains in the Pyrenees. It moved to the northwest of the country with impressive waves. In Castro Urdiales in Cantabria, the waves exceeded ten meters in height.

The wind, sometimes hurricane, was one of the main characteristics of this storm. The gusts of wind have reached 156 kilometers per hour, as recorded in the Estaca de Bares in A Coruña. The waves there were more than nine meters high and the sea was choppy. Amelie continued to tour the entire Cantabrian coast, also greatly influencing Euskadi.

In Bilbao, the waves exceeded nine and a half meters, and in Leketio, the Bay of Biscay was choppy, the wind was so strong that it was difficult to move and the tents were overturned.

Firefighters were forced to intervene. The center also felt the impact, with strong winds even causing waves in the population's reservoirs in Madrid's Navacerrada. Amelie also hit the French coast. In Cap Ferret, the gusts of wind reached 163 km/h, and the areas of Biarritz or Bordeaux were also affected.

In the Balearic Islands the influence of Amelie was also felt. Strong winds in Menorca and Mallorca left a woman dead after a palm tree fell. The winds brought by Amelie also affected the Valencian community, but in a different way. Temperatures rise due to dry air from the west.

In November, Torrevieja lived its third tropical night with a minimum of 20 degrees. In places like Cullera it is 25 degrees, although the thermometer drops a bit.

How a storm forms

It usually begins when a cold, dry air mass moves south from a polar front. While this is happening, a tropical air mass, which is usually warm and humid, moves north. This has been the first phase in which a storm begins to occur.

The next phase is the undulation that exists when both air masses meet. This undulation is greatly intensified and the polar air mass heads south. Both air masses carry the front, but the one going south carries the cold front and the one going north carries the warm front.

It is in these situations that precipitation occurs with greater intensity on the cold front. The final phase of storm formation is in which the cold front completely traps the hot one, making its size smaller. In addition, it completely isolates it from the rest of the tropical air and eliminates all the moisture it brought. By taking away moisture, it also takes away from your energy.

It is at this moment that the occluded front forms and where the cyclonic storm takes place. This storm will die down as the polar front establishes itself. The final phase of the storm ends with the same types of clouds that appeared in the warm front.

I hope that with this information you can learn more about the Amelie storm and its damage.


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