Low chance of rain in Spain

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F1’s run of rain-affected races is likely to end this weekend in Barcelona. Although it has been raining in the Montmelo area recently, rain is expected to leave the region before the Grand Prix.

At present the Spanish Meteorological Office gives a low chance of rain falling on race day or Saturday – 45%.

However there is a more significant chance of rain disrupting Friday practice, with a 70% chance of rainfall at the track in four days’ time.

Air temperature will be in the high teens reaching 20C by Sunday.

Wind could be a factor, particularly on Saturday when gusts of up to 6m/s are expected. The cars are especially sensitive to wind at the fast Campsa corner.

You can keep an eye on the conditions at the circuit in the run-up to the race weekend using the rainfall radar below.

Update 5/4/2010: The Spanish MET office has revised its forecast for Sunday, increasing the probability of rainfall to 55%.

Circuit de Catalunya location

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    Keith Collantine
    Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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    26 comments on “Low chance of rain in Spain”

    1. Hi all
      Just to let you know that the weather here in Barcelona is wet! There were spots of rain all weekend and right now it is bucketing down. Forecast for the weekend is uncertain but right now they are saying it will rain on race day…

      Donal

      1. just saw the “low chance of rain in spain” post – I guess that comment would work better there!
        Can it be moved?

        Catalan weather service is a bit more precise
        here is the 8 day forecast
        http://www.meteo.cat/mediamb_xemec/servmet/marcs/marc_municipal.html
        interface is awful but the region you are looking for is Granollers

        and the radar
        http://www.meteo.cat/mediamb_xemec/servmet/marcs/marc_c_radar.html

    2. Prisoner Monkeys
      3rd May 2010, 9:51

      This is going to be the first real test of Formula 1, I think. The past three races have been broken up by rain, but this will be the first dry race now that everyone is familiar wih the rules.

      Shame it’s at Barcelona.

    3. Stephen Hopkinson
      3rd May 2010, 9:53

      That’s a fairly misleading interpretation of the probabilities: 45% is a moderately high chance of rain.

      1. That’s a 45% chance of rain falling at some point during a 24-hour period. The race isn’t on all day long, so I’d be inclined to under-estimate the chance that any rain that does fall might affect the race.

        1. But the track would be slippery if the rain would come on Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning befor the race.

        2. 45% chance means 100% chance of rain in 45% of the area. So somewhere in the region there will be rain just matter where and when.

          1. It just doesn’t mate. I can’t really correct you without teaching you fundamental maths.

    4. 45% isn’t a ‘low’ chance to me keith! :) when was the last wet gp here i wonder? 1996?

      1. Yep, 1996, when Schumacher trounced the field.

    5. “The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain”

      Well races at Catalunya are generally not very noteworthy and ordinary, or “plain” for want of a better word. Therefore there shall be rain. :-)

      1. lol. the annual phrase- ‘the rain in spain falls mainly on F1 test days’ is much more accurate!

    6. I just hope that some of it manages to fall at some time in qualifying or sometime during the race. Otherwise it’ll be Bahrain, but without the heat. It looks like it’ll be a very cool (as in temperature) GP no matter what. Which should help those that can’t look after their tyres.

      1. no, cool temperatures will make tyre degradation worse, (lower temp.= less grip= more tyre sliding). this means drivers who can’t look after their tyres are in even worse trouble. ;)

        1. It can go either way. The window where the tyres are at their optimum is very narrow. The left front tyre will take a hammering no matter what.

          1. yeah true. that long right hander is harsh. (even in rfactor!)

    7. I can’t remember a wet race in Barcelona, there’s always a nice wheater in Barcelona in may.

      1. 96 was a classic.

    8. Keith, I’d say 45% is a pretty high chance of rain

      1. See my comment above.

    9. As much as Catalunya needs rain to spice things up, I hope it’s dry. It’d be good to see where the teams are roughly at (remembering of course that the nature of the circuit might amplify certain advantages and disadvantages in the cars), and how drivers in the same teams compare (again, plus or minus circuit preference) and we’ve been spoiled a bit recently; a dry, normal race might stop our expectations from going way too high!

    10. It seems like rain always shows us great racing this season & seasons before this then why not.

    11. The Spanish MET office has revised its forecast for Sunday. It now says the probability of rainfall is 55%:

      http://www.aemet.es/es/eltiempo/prediccion/localidades/montmelo-08402

      1. oooh i do love the pre race weather reports! gets me all excited.

      2. They’ve now revised it back down to 45% for Sunday. However, Friday is almost certain to be wet with 90% chance of rain!

        1. but now bbc says friday will be dry!

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