PLEA Network

14 November 2024, BBC: Málaga evacuates thousands as Spain issues more flood alerts. Thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes in the Costa del Sol region of southern Spain as extreme rain and flooding drenches the area. National weather office Aemet has placed both Malaga and the northeastern Catalonia region on the highest alert for strong rain expected to last until Friday. The Malaga area, including the tourist resorts of Marbella, Velez and Estepona, is expected to take the brunt of the extreme weather phenomenon known as a “Dana”. Parts of the eastern Valencia area have also been placed on the highest alert, weeks after the area was devastated by flash floods that killed more than 220 people. Several other regions in Spain remain braced for more heavy showers and low temperatures. Up to 180mm of rain could fall in Catalonia in north-eastern Spain in just 12 hours, accompanied by thunderstorms along the coast near Tarragona, forecasters say. Schools in the entire southern province of Málaga have been closed while many supermarkets have kept shutters down. Footage circulating on social media showed the city’s normally busy areas deserted as water flooded the streets. Around 3,000 people living in close proximity to the Guadalhorce River have been told to leave their homes, the Regional Government of Andalusia has said. Read more here