Storm Francis hits Spain

Photo: depositphotos

Storm Francis, driven by Arctic air, has hit Spain hard, bringing unusually low temperatures, strong winds and snowfall. Heavy snowfall is causing travel disruption and many roads are closed.

Spain's national meteorological agency AEMET has issued snow warnings for eleven autonomous regions. The worst conditions are currently in Cantabria, where an orange warning is in effect due to heavy snowfall.

A yellow warning is in force in Catalonia, Madrid, Aragon, Castile and León, Castile-La Mancha, Asturias, Galicia, Murcia, as well as the Valencian Community and parts of Andalusia. The heaviest snowfall will fall in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and icing is expected in the metropolitan areas and the Henares corridor, as temperatures remain around freezing.

Snow and ice are causing problems on more than 30 roads, including key routes. One of the biggest incidents occurred on the A-2 motorway near Cervera in the province of Barcelona, ​​where the road was later closed after an accident related to the snow conditions.

In some areas, snow chains are already mandatory and speed limits have been lowered. Heavy vehicles have also been banned from certain sections. Snow is not the only problem, as rains in warmer areas are causing flooding. In Cadiz, authorities have ordered the precautionary evacuation of 470 homes located downstream of the Guadarranque reservoir.

In addition to rain and snow, winter itself is becoming a big problem in Spain. Temperatures have dropped sharply, especially in the mountains around Madrid, reaching seven degrees Celsius below freezing, which is unusual for Spain. In inland areas, temperatures can drop to ten degrees Celsius below freezing.

Catalonia has activated its cold weather emergency plan, warning that temperatures in the Pyrenees could drop to minus twelve degrees Celsius in the coming days. Meteorologists say the combination of snow, ice and freezing air will continue to pose a risk, with the storm gradually moving across the Iberian Peninsula this week.

Source: euroweeklynews, Editorial Weathersunshine.com