Orange alert for storms and hail in Sagunto on Thursday 20 August
112 Comunidad Valenciana and AEMET have raised the storm and rainfall warning for Sagunto to orange level, active on Thursday 20 August from 12:00 to 19:59, with risk of hail and strong wind gusts.
The Camp de Morvedre district (comarca) is under a heightened weather warning. The 112 Comunidad Valenciana emergency service and AEMET, Spain's national weather agency, have placed Sagunto and the whole northern coastline of Valencia province under an orange-level alert for rainfall and storms. The warning runs on Thursday 20 August, between 12:00 and 19:59, with forecasters expecting storms that could bring hail and very strong wind gusts. Authorities estimate that some areas could see up to 40 mm of rain in a single hour, enough to cause fast flooding on streets and in low-lying areas.
Orange is not just a colour on the alert scale: under AEMET's own criteria, this level is used when danger is considered significant, meaning people and property in exposed areas could suffer serious impacts. In practice it sits one step below red and well above yellow, and the standard advice is that residents should be prepared and take extra precautions while the warning lasts, not simply stay informed.
Sagunto City Council (Ayuntamiento de Sagunto) has passed on a set of guidelines to residents to reduce risk during the worst hours. The first is to follow official updates in real time, from the council itself, AEMET and 112 CV, rather than trusting unverified information circulating on social media during the event. The second concerns travel: people are asked to avoid using their vehicle during Thursday's warning window unless it is strictly necessary.
For anyone who does need to drive, the advice is specific: use main roads and motorways where possible, slow down and leave extra distance from the car in front, since wet road surfaces and wind gusts reduce braking and steering control. If heavy rain cuts visibility to the point where driving becomes difficult, drivers should stop in a safe spot rather than keep going blind.
Another set of recommendations covers ravines (barrancos) and areas where water can build up. Residents are told to avoid crossing or staying near ravines, dry riverbeds or any spot where water could suddenly start flowing, and not to park there during the alert, since a storm like this can turn a dry channel into a fast-moving stream within minutes. At home, people are advised to secure awnings and blinds, check that drains and gutters are not blocked by leaves or rubbish, and clear terraces and patios of light objects that wind or water could sweep away.
The orange storm alert is not the only one in force. 112 CV and AEMET are simultaneously keeping two lower-level alerts active in Sagunto on the same Thursday: a yellow alert for high temperatures, running from 13:00 to 20:59 with highs that could approach 36ºC, and a yellow alert for coastal weather, between 12:00 and 19:59, with westerly winds of 40 to 55 km/h and gusts that could top 80 km/h. The gap between the orange storm warning and these two yellow ones is not just about colour: AEMET's yellow level means low danger, with only isolated impacts expected on vulnerable people and property, compared with the serious impacts the orange level can bring.
This run of alerts reflects an unsettled week for the district. Just one day earlier, on 18 August, both agencies had activated the red alert, the highest level on the scale, for extreme heat in the area — a sign of how much the weather has swung in Camp de Morvedre this August, from an extreme heat peak to a hail-bearing storm episode within 48 hours. The city council stresses that the best protection for residents during these hours is staying informed through official channels, not improvising on the spot. According to Sagunto City Council (Ayuntamiento de Sagunto), with additional data from AEMET on the weather alert scale.