Two weeks after devastating floods Highest weather alert level in several Spanish regions

dpa

13.11.2024 - 11:36

A new area of low pressure is causing hardship in Spain as people recover from the recent floods. Catalonia and Andalusia are particularly affected.

Spain is once again facing a weather challenge as a new area of low pressure has put the regions of Catalonia and Andalusia on alert. The national weather service Aemet has declared the highest warning level red for these areas. This development comes just two weeks after the devastating floods that claimed over 220 lives.

In the province of Málaga in Andalusia, 3,000 people were evacuated from an area near the river that is at risk of flooding as a precautionary measure, according to the Europapress news agency. The death toll from the so-called storm of the century on October 29 has now risen to 223.

Valencia, which was particularly badly affected two weeks ago, is also on the second-highest orange warning level. There, 215 people died in the sudden floods following heavy rain at the end of October, as the regional government announced in its latest report. A further eight deaths were recorded in Andalusia and Castilla-La Mancha, while 17 people are still missing.

Preparations for further rainfall

Emergency services are working in various municipalities to clean the sewers to ensure the rainwater drains away. Many roads are still blocked by vehicles and household goods that have been pushed together.

Mallorca has already experienced heavy rainfall, which has led to minor landslides and fallen trees, according to the Balearic Islands' emergency services. However, the weather cleared up in the morning and the storms moved on towards the Spanish mainland. A yellow warning is still in place for the east coast of the island.

Persistent fear of rain

The current area of low pressure is due to the "cold drop" phenomenon, which also caused the storm on October 29. Back then, up to 490 liters of rain per square meter fell in some areas within eight hours. However, meteorologists are expecting less precipitation this time. Nevertheless, concerns remain high, as one resident told the state broadcaster RTVE: "Every drop of water means fear".

dpa