John Culatto
SUN rays struggled to break through the wind and rain Friday after Gibraltar experienced one of the wettest weeks in recent years.
The remnants of Storm Efrain, as it was known in Spain, brought gale force winds and torrential rain to smash into the Rock.
Week-long downpours meant 162% of December’s average rainfall came down in just half the month, Gibraltar’s meteorological service tweeted.
GibMeteo said nearly 250mm of rain had fallen at the airport this month.
It was already the wettest month since January 2021 and the rainiest December since 2016.
The government’s weather warning said Thursday it expected ‘occasionally heavy and perhaps prolonged’ rain until 6pm on Friday.
“Some further torrential, thundery downpours are possible, which could bring a risk of hail and strong gusts with them,” the warning said.
“There is a risk that rainfall accumulations could reach 20-25mm within a 6-hour period.”
But the warnings fell short of the ‘severe weather’ threshold of 50mm+ in 6 hours.
Local amateur photographer Laura Reed took a picture of the rainbow that appeared after the rain stopped.
Gibraltar, known for its 300 days of sun a year rarely get this wet for such a long period.
Built on a Rock, its slanted streets and steep steps send rushing streams of rainwater down to the town centre often causing flooding.
Similar scenes were recorded around Spain with nearby province of Cadiz especially hit by huge waves brought by the strong winds.
ALSO READ:
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