AA / Oviedo, Espagne / Alyssa McMurtry
Parts of Spain are bracing for further dangerous flooding this Wednesday, as a new storm threatens to bring heavy rainfall.
These torrential rains come just 15 days after a storm which caused catastrophic flooding in the province of Valencia, killing at least 223 people.
Once again, the area concerned is placed on orange alert for heavy precipitation.
In Valencia, dozens of municipalities have suspended classes.
Although the weather agency does not expect Valencia to suffer the worst of this storm, the pipe networks are still filled with mud from the latest floods, which could complicate the evacuation of water.
This time, the areas on red alert are around the regions of Malaga and Tarragona.
In Malaga, around 3,000 people were evacuated from their homes on the banks of the Guadalhorce River. The same area also experienced flooding two weeks ago.
Residents of Malaga province received mobile phone alerts overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, warning them of an “extreme risk of precipitation” and advising them to avoid all travel.
Schools will remain closed on Wednesday throughout the province of Malaga and on the coast of Granada.
In southern Catalonia, in Tarragona, some roads are blocked, schools remain closed and train connections have been canceled.
The preventive measures taken on Wednesday contrast with the lack of early warning in Valencia two weeks ago.
Although on red alert for rainfall, residents were not urged to stay at home or seek refuge in higher ground before flooding reached catastrophic levels.
Both storms were caused by a weather phenomenon known in Spain as DANA (Depression aislada en niveles alto) or “cold drop.” This phenomenon occurs when a pocket of very cold air at altitude collides with rather warm air coming up from the Mediterranean, the temperature of which is always high at this time of year, which gives rise to a isolated high-altitude depression that causes sudden and extremely heavy rain.
This storm began to affect Spain on Tuesday and is expected to last at least until Friday, according to the Spanish Meteorological Agency.
Speaking on Tuesday at COP29, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez established a link between the intensity of these weather phenomena and climate change.
“Climate change kills,” he said, calling for more action to reduce greenhouse gases to prevent future natural disasters.
*Translated from English by Mourad Belhaj
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