The torrential rains that are pouring over the southeastern Spanish autonomous region of Murcia have caused flooding and forced the evacuation of dozens of people, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
The head of the local government, Fernando López Miras, called on residents of the Campo de Cartagena and Mazarrón districts to “avoid unnecessary travel and be careful“.
Mario Pérez Cervera, mayor of the Los Alcázares district, advised people living in lower areas to settle on the first floors of their homes and stock up on essential products such as food, water, first-aid kits and batteries. Miras said that there were no reports of casualties as a result of the water event at the moment.
A code red, the highest level of alert, was temporarily declared in the region of Murcia and some neighboring areas. The system for distributing electronic messages to warn the population was also activated. Later in the day, the storm began to weaken in some areas and in some places the authorities lowered the level of alert.
The heavy rains in southeastern Spain are caused by a meteorological phenomenon known on the Iberian Peninsula as an isolated depression at high altitude (DANA - Depresion Aislada en Niveles Altos). This is a climatic phenomenon typical of the Mediterranean region, in which a cold air mass suddenly begins to enter over warm Mediterranean waters. The warm air rises quickly and dense, moisture-rich clouds form.
In October last year, DANA caused catastrophic flooding in Spain, with the water event leading to the deaths of nearly 230 people. The late warnings to the population forced the authorities to act with increased caution and react more quickly when heavy rains began.