Storm "Joseph" caused the death of a woman in Malaga yesterday and led to numerous accidents, flooding, landslides and evacuations in Galicia, Andalusia and Castile and Leon. The storm is expected to intensify today, the Spanish news agency EFE reported, quoted by BTA.
The Spanish meteorological agency warned of the serious impact of the storm, including strong seas in Galicia and the Cantabrian Sea with waves up to six meters high, accompanied by strong winds, as well as heavy rain and snow in other parts of the country.
At least 800 incidents related to rain and wind have been recorded in Galicia, including floods, landslides and fallen branches and stones on the roads, which led to a series of traffic accidents.
Among the most serious incidents is a pile-up involving 14 vehicles on the AP-9 highway. In addition to injuries, the incident also led to the complete disruption of the main land access to Santiago de Compostela.
Heavy rains affected the interior of the province of Pontevedra. In some municipalities, rainfall of more than 150 liters per square meter was recorded.
Representatives of the regional government in Galicia again called for increased caution and close monitoring of weather forecasts in the coming days.
The situation also remains serious in Andalusia. 366 incidents have been registered in the region. The most serious case is the death of a woman in Malaga after a palm tree fell on her.
In Jimena de la Frontera, province of Cadiz, 11 people were evacuated as a precaution due to the overflow of a river. All sea routes in the Strait of Gibraltar were closed.
The impact of the storm is also being felt in other parts of the country. In Castile and Leon, two buildings collapsed - one semi-abandoned and the other uninhabited. There are no reports of injuries.
Heavy snowfall is expected in the Cantabrian mountains, as well as the Sanabria region of Zamora. There is a warning of snowmelt in Ávila and Segovia, and in the southern part of the province of Salamanca - for intense rainfall.
All warnings are code yellow, except for the southern part of the province of Ávila, where a code orange has been declared with up to 80 liters of rain per square meter expected in 12 hours.