Simon Hunter
A WEATHER front known in Spanish as a DANA has caused major flooding and damage in Murcia, Almeria and Alicante. There are also weather warnings today, Tuesday, in areas such as Valencia and Zaragoza.
The DANA – which means an ‘isolated depression at high levels’ – has caused not just flooding but also damage to crops and vehicles, and has also seen roads closed.
The weather is expected to get worse in Murcia, Almeria and Alicante today, according to local press reports. So far the event has not claimed any victims.
An orange weather warning (of three levels, red, orange and yellow) was in place today in Murcia, Alicante, Valencia and Zaragoza.
There was a lesser, yellow warning, meanwhile, in Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Catalunya, La Rioja and Navarre.
In many areas of the southeast of the peninsula, there has been more rainfall in a day than is usually seen in the entire month of May. In fact, Almeria has never seen so much rain in this month, according to Spanish daily El Pais.
The rain arrives as Spain is in the midst of an ongoing drought. The month of April was the hottest and driest since records began in 1961, according to the Aemet state weather agency.
Rainfall was a fifth of the average in the fourth month of 2023, with average temperatures up by 4.7ºC.
May, meanwhile, has been unusually cool compared to the average.
Read more:
- Recent rains stabalise supplies in Spain’s Costa del Sol and Guadalhorce
- Torrential rain to continue this week in Spain’s Andalucia including Malaga
- Much-needed rain to remain in Spain’s Malaga until next week—after dumping almost 100 litres on first day
