Umbrella sellers, weather forecasters, and anyone hoping for a dramatic storm selfie were left sorely disappointed in Alicante on Tuesday. Schools were closed, outdoor events cancelled, and residents warned to stay indoors for an “epic” storm… that never showed up.
The orange weather alert had promised torrential rain, hail, and howling winds. Instead, most of the Costa Blanca got blue skies and a free day off. The only thing flooding was social media with sarcastic posts asking, “Where’s this storm then?”
In Alicante, San Vicente, Orihuela and Elche, classrooms were empty, fiestas postponed, and parents forced into surprise childcare duty—all because of a storm that decided to skip town. Children rejoiced. Adults, less so.
Of course, the authorities weren’t just being overdramatic. Last October’s catastrophic DANA left cars bobbing like bath toys, so this time they weren’t taking chances. On paper, the forecast sounded terrifying: 40 litres of rain per square metre in one hour, or up to 100 litres in 12 hours on the coast. Throw in warnings of hail and gales, and you can see why the “better safe than sorry” button was smashed.
And to be fair, not everyone escaped. Redován and Callosa d’en Sarrià were treated to a soggy slap of reality on Monday, and parts of the Marina Baixa collected over 70 litres of rain. But those were rare pockets in what was otherwise a spectacular no-show.
So, what went wrong? According to the Mastral Project in Torrevieja, the storms “developed further east than expected,” which is the meteorological equivalent of saying: “Oops, missed by a few kilometres.” Most of the heavy rain fell harmlessly out at sea.
Jorge Olcina, director of the University of Alicante’s Climatology Laboratory, defended the forecasts: “It wasn’t an easterly storm where rain is guaranteed. These storms pop up suddenly and dump rain randomly, with no fixed pattern.” In other words, forecasting them is a bit like trying to guess where your cat is hiding—possible, but humiliating when you get it wrong.
By Wednesday, the only thing Alicante had to worry about was finding a good spot of shade. Skies were sunny, temperatures hit the low 30s, and summer smugly reminded everyone who’s still in charge.
Umbrella salesmen hardest hit.
