Storm “Marta“ has also reached Morocco. The torrential rains it brought forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people, after the storm previously caused significant problems in Spain and Portugal, DPA reported, citing statements by authorities to local media.
More than 154,000 people in the northern Moroccan provinces were affected by the storm, the Ministry of the Interior told the MAP news agency today.
The city of Ksar el-Kebir northeast of the capital Rabat was one of the hardest-hit areas. Most of its residents have been evacuated due to rising water levels.
Access to several villages in the region was cut off after the Sebu River burst its banks due to torrential rains.
A break in recent severe weather conditions has brought relief to Portugal and Spain, however.
Although it was expected to remain mostly sunny and rain-free today, large areas on both countries are still under water after the passage of “Marta“ yesterday.
The levels of many rivers are still high and controlled releases of dams are required.
Thousands of evacuees were sheltered in evacuation centers, and the risk of landslides remains high, local public television stations in both countries reported.
Meteorological services in Spain and Portugal predicted continued rainfall, although not in the same amounts as in previous days.
„Marta“ is the seventh storm to pass over the Iberian Peninsula since the beginning of the year, bringing torrential rain, strong winds and high waves to the coast of Portugal and the southern Spanish region of Andalusia.
Military forces were mobilized to support civil protection forces, and damage to infrastructure and agriculture was estimated at more than 7 billion euros.
One advantage of the rainfall is that despite the extreme heat and drought, there should not be the usual water shortages in the upcoming summer, because reservoirs in the region are already full, DPA notes.