Coastal Spain is once again facing severe weather conditions as severe thunderstorms and torrential rain have battered the region, leading to the evacuation of thousands of people. This comes just two weeks after the country experienced deadly flooding in Valencia and other nearby communities.
Almost 3,000 people and a thousand homes have been evacuated in the Malaga region, with five areas near the Guadalhorce riverbank being preemptively evacuated due to the risk of overflowing. In just one hour, nearly a month's worth of rainfall inundated Malaga, with the southern Spanish province receiving roughly 100 millimeters of rain, 78 millimeters of which fell within an hour.
The Spanish meteorological agency has issued red warnings in the Andalusia and Catalonia regions for extreme rainfall, leading to impassable roads and flooded basements in several towns. Streets in Malaga have been submerged in water, prompting evacuation orders near the Campanillas River due to the risk of overflowing.
The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility has suspended the Málaga-Madrid rail service due to water accumulation on the tracks. The severe weather alert in Malaga also resulted in the postponement of the opening round tie of the Billie Jean King Cup between Spain and Poland.
Heavy rain is expected to continue through the evening from Malaga and Granada up through Valencia and Tarragona, with up to 180 millimeters of rainfall possible. Valencia has been issued a red weather warning for Thursday, leading to the closure of all non-essential movement on the city's roads.
The City Council of Valencia has suspended school activities throughout the city and its districts to mitigate risks. Spain is still recovering from historic floods that claimed over 220 lives just two weeks ago, marking the country's worst deluge in decades.
Last weekend, protesters in Valencia demanded the resignation of regional president Carlos Mazón for the slow response to the deadly natural disaster.
