Walter Finch
STORM Karlotta, riding on a ‘sky river’ that stretches all the way from Venezuela to Spain, has finally brought long-awaited rains to the Costa del Sol.
Aemet, the Spanish weather agency, has issued a yellow alert for Malaga city, the Costa del Sol, and the Guadalhorce area as the heaviest downpours in a year hit the area.
The Serranía de Ronda and Estepona were the first beneficiaries of the early Friday rainfall.
In a 12-hour period, 45mm was recorded in Cortes de la Frontera and 35.9mm in the Estepona hills.
Many areas in Malaga province have been warned to expect a potential 15mm of rainfall in just one hour, and 40mm over the following twelve.
In glorious news for reservoir level watchers, the lakes at Concepcion and La Viñuela have already seen 12.5mm and 13.5mm respectively.
The day of rain comes after nearly 12 months of barely a drop across Malaga and widespread alarm about a severe and prolonged drought striking the province.
You have to go back to February 2023 for the last day the land received a comparable amount of rainfall, when the Malaga Airport rain gauge measured 55mm.
The current forecast promises more rainfall in the current 24 hours than the whole of January, which only saw 21mm all month.
The most significant rainfall of 70 to 80mm is expected around the La Concepcion dam, which supplies much-needed water to the Costa del Sol – currently at just 22.6% capacity.
Additionally, a coastal phenomena alert has been issued, expecting west winds of 50 to 60 km/h.
The weather is expected to clear by Saturday, with the possibility of scattered showers returning Sunday afternoon and Monday, although these forecasts remain tentative for now.
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