Regimes of intense precipitation in the Spanish Mediterranean area

•5 years of precipitation episodes over 100 mm/24 h in Spanish provinces of Alboran Sea•Study of the spatial patterns of intense precipitation•Study of the synoptic patterns associated with intense precipitation

In the present study severe rainfall (≥ 100 mm in 24 h) in the southern Mediterranean area of the Iberian Peninsula (Spanish provinces of Malaga, Granada, and Almeria) is analyzed. The spatial pattern of heavy rainfall was characterized using cluster analysis with data pertaining to 5 years (2006–2010). The areas most affected by heavy rainfall were the western and coastal areas of the province of Malaga, the border area between the provinces of Malaga and Granada, and the eastern part of the province of Almeria (5 clusters). The average synoptic patterns associated with each cluster were also obtained. A low in the western or southwestern Iberian Peninsula and southerly/southwesterly moist flow at low levels were the most frequent patterns. Two episodes of heavy rainfall that occurred during the autumn of 2012 were also studied, revealing the importance of deep convection.