The Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC) publishes a report on the impacts of the Storm Gloria storm on the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.
The report includes the consequences of strong winds and rains, as well as intense currents and waves, on the coastal line, the marine ecosystem and on fishing and aquaculture activity.
The Storm Gloria, which manifested a great intensity between January 19 and 24, caused significant impacts on coast line equipment, deterioration in tourist infrastructures and terrestrial and maritime communication and affectations to marine ecosystems, evidencing the vulnerability of the Mediterranean coast to large-scale atmospheric disturbances.
The report, written by a large group of ICM experts, has been based on observations made by satellite, data taken by buoys and tide gauges from Puertos del Estado and numerical models, as well as measurements performed by ICM at various points on the Catalan coast.
In the current context of climate emergency, the Storm Gloria shows us the need to improve predicting tools for extreme meteorological and oceanographic events, with the aim of being able to propose possible preventive and palliative measures that protect the coastline in the long term.