Dilip Kuner
SWATHES of Spain have battened down the hatches as storms Fien and Gerard has swept the country bringing strong winds, heavy snow, rain and rough seas.
One man is known to have died. The 80-year-old vanished during the storm on Monday night. His body was found in the port of Basque town Bermeo.
A bus full of children trapped by floods in nearby Sondika had to be rescued by emergency services.
Fien has brought an air mass from the arctic and temperatures have plunged, with the storm set to continue until Friday, according to meteorological service Aemet.
The worst of the weather has been in northern Spain, where several regions have activated emergency plans to deal with potential flooding as rivers threaten to burst their banks.
Regions in northern Spain are beginning to activate flood protocols as rivers near capacity. In the rest of the country, warnings have been issued about strong winds that could hit 100kph.
Many coastal areas are also on alert for rough seas, with waves of up to nine metres predicted in Galicia.
Gerard has hit the East coast of the country, bringing more rain and strong winds.
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