Torrential rains expected in Spain: schools closed

(Keystone-ATS) National meteorological office Aemet on Tuesday placed parts of Valencia, as well as Catalonia in the northeast, Andalusia in the south and the Balearic Islands on orange alert – the second highest level – for heavy or torrential rain until Thursday.

This alert comes two weeks after an exceptional Mediterranean storm caused the deadliest floods Spain has seen in decades. The storm of October 29 left 223 dead, most of them in the Valencia region, according to the latest official report.

Warning by megaphone

Dozens of town halls in the Valencia region, including Chiva, one of the worst-hit sites, have suspended classes and closed public gyms due to the threat of more torrential rain.

A military vehicle drove through towns in Valencia using a megaphone to warn of expected storms and urge residents not to make “unnecessary trips”, according to footage broadcast by Spanish public television TVE,

Although the amount of rain forecast in Valencia is less than that which fell two weeks ago, local authorities have warned that sewage systems are clogged with mud and may struggle to cope with any rainfall significant, which would make further flooding possible.

Outrage over poor management of the crisis before and after the floods triggered mass demonstrations on Saturday, the largest of which brought together 130,000 people in the city of Valencia.