Thousands of people have been evacuated in Malaga amid ‘extreme rainfall’ warnings amid fears of more flooding

On By Pranco

Thousands Residents in Spain‘S Costa del Sol have been evacuated for fear of a new weather front that could once again cause flooding in the region.

Two weeks after the worst floods in the country’s modern history killed more than 200 people, authorities issued a rare red alert for severe flooding. rainfall in MalagaThis led to the evacuation of approximately 3,000 people living along the Guadalhorce River.

The Spanish Meteorological Agency Aemet gave an orange and red alarm for parts of Andalusia, Catalonia and Valencia, warning that prolonged and intense rainfall could push rivers to dangerous levels, endangering lives and buildings.

The province of Malaga, including the tourist resort of Marbella on the Costa del Sol, is expected to bear the brunt of the weather, but Catalonia in northeastern Spain is also under red alert until Wednesday evening.

Schools in high-risk areas are closed as residents brace for what officials warn could be days of relentless rain and rising water.

The Costa del Sol is located along the southern coast of Spain, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, and extends across the province of Malaga and east of Gibraltar (AMET)The Costa del Sol is located along the southern coast of Spain, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, and extends across the province of Malaga and east of Gibraltar (AMET)

The Costa del Sol is located along the southern coast of Spain, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, and extends across the province of Malaga and east of Gibraltar (AMET)

Antonio Sanz, a regional government minister, said: “We did not evacuate entire towns, but rather specific areas linked to the riverbank. This decision has been communicated to the Government of Spain in order to obtain cooperation from the state security forces and authorities.”

The ‘Dana’ weather phenomenon is not expected to be as dramatic as the red alert on October 29, but has the potential to bring persistent rain that could quickly flood vulnerable areas such as the eastern and southern Mediterranean, El Mundo reported.

Instead of moving quickly through a region, the Dana can stall and result in prolonged, intense rainfall for several days.

The impact of the expected downpour on Wednesday could be severe due to the large amounts of mud already on the ground and the condition of the sewage system, Rosa Tauris, a spokesperson for Valencia’s emergency committee, told reporters.

The municipal council of Paiporta, Valencia, has advised flood relief volunteers to avoid areas with an orange warning, El Mundo reports. The council also called on those in affected areas to “refrain from carrying out priority tasks” to seek shelter.

After criticism of the government’s inadequate response to last month’s floods, authorities could face intense scrutiny as they deal with the latest round of severe weather.

People pick up goods at a supermarket affected by the floods in Valencia, Spain (The Associated Press)People pick up goods at a supermarket affected by the floods in Valencia, Spain (The Associated Press)

People pick up goods at a supermarket affected by the floods in Valencia, Spain (The Associated Press)

During a visit to Valencia in the immediate aftermath of the floods, King Felipe VI, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and regional President Carlos Mazón faced public outrage in the town of Paiporta, where residents threw mud and hurled insults, frustrated by what they saw as insufficient state support.

Growing anger over the government’s handling of the crisis led to a massive protest on Saturday evening, with 130,000 people taking to the streets in Valencia to demand Mr Mazón’s resignation.

At the opening of COP29 in Baku on Monday, Mukhtar Babayev, president of the United Nations climate summit, pointed to the recent catastrophes in Valencia and other regions as evidence that climate collapse is already unfolding.