Málaga evacuates thousands of people as more flood warnings are issued

Thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes in the Costa del Sol region of southern Spain as heavy rains and floods inundated the area.

National weather office Aemet has placed both Malaga and northeastern Catalonia on the highest alert for heavy rain expected to last until Friday.

The Malaga region, which includes the tourist areas of Marbella, Velez and Estepona, is expected to experience an extreme weather phenomenon known as “Dana”.

Areas in the eastern Valencia region were also placed on the highest alert, weeks after the region was devastated by flash floods that killed more than 220 people.

Some other areas in Spain are still bracing for heavier rain and lower temperatures.

Forecasters said up to 180mm of rain could fall in Catalonia in north-east Spain in just 12 hours, accompanied by thunderstorms along the coast near Tarragona.

Schools in the entire southern province of Málaga were closed while many supermarkets remained closed.

Footage circulating on social media showed usually crowded areas of the city deserted as water flooded the streets.

The Andalusia regional government said about 3,000 people living near the Guadalhorce river had been asked to leave their homes.

“We have not evacuated the entire town, but only specific areas related to the riverbank,” Regional Government Minister Antonio Sanz said.

“This decision has been communicated to the Spanish government in order to receive cooperation from state security forces and agencies.”

A severe weather warning in Málaga also led into the opening match Billie Jean King Cup between Spain and Poland postponedThe International Tennis Federation said.

The two nations will compete in Malaga on Wednesday.

Spain’s meteorological agency Aemet has placed parts of Andalusia and the Balearic Islands on orange alert from now until Thursday.

Aemet warned that rainfall and storms could be “very strong to torrential”.

In other regions of Spain, precautionary measures are being taken – with The eastern and southern Mediterranean regions are most vulnerable.

That orange warning is the second highest level and it signals a significant meteorological event “with a level of danger to normal operations.”

In Valencia, classes and sports activities were suspended in some areas and sandbags were piled up to protect Aldaia town centre.

However, this second Dana weather system is not expected to be as dramatic as the red alert on October 29, when the Valencia region in particular suffered unprecedented human and material damage.

Elsewhere, the rescue team searching for the bodies of two children swept away by floodwaters in Valencia two weeks ago said their bodies had been found.

Izan Matías, 5, and Rubén Matías, 3, were pulled from the arms of their father, Victor Matías, as floodwaters rushed through their home in Valencia on the evening of October 29.

Their aunt, Barabara Sastre, confirmed to the BBC that the boys had been found. Their bodies were found in various locations.

“My little angels, we have finally found you,” a family friend, David Garcia, wrote online. “Two stars shine brighter in the sky.”

Yesterday, search teams focused on a section of the Pollo River about 6 kilometers (3.7 kilometers) from the family’s home.

The boys’ uncle, Iván, told the BBC he was extremely grateful for all the support they had received and hoped his nephews would be found.

Volunteers from the Canary Islands and other parts of Spain joined recovery experts from Mexico, who often work after earthquakes.

On Monday, the family’s dog was found dead in a garage in the town of Paiporta, more than 12km (7.4 miles) from their home in La Curra, Mas del Jutge neighborhood.

The Dana weather system is formed when an area of ​​low pressure is “cut off” from the main flow of the jet stream.

This means that instead of moving through an area relatively quickly, they are blocked over the same area resulting in persistent rain for several days.

Colder air aloft meets warmer air blowing in from the Mediterranean, causing the storm to become stronger.

On the first day of the COP29 climate summit on Monday, World Metrology Organization Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said the recent floods in Spain were a strong message to the world.

“The incredible amount of rain in Spain is a wake-up call about how much water the warmer atmosphere can hold,” she said.