Málaga flooding – more torrential rains in Spain

Two weeks after catastrophic flooding in Valencia, the infamous DANA weather phenomenon is once again coming over the Spanish coast. Meteorologists predict that heavy rainfall will continue until Friday afternoon, this time experiencing primarily the Andalusia region. Dramatic flooding in Malaga has already complicated the lives of thousands of people since Wednesday.

The second impact of the DANA low

Spain’s national meteorological agency, Aemet, issued a warning Wednesday afternoon of high rainfall resulting from the impact of DANA on the Spanish coast. The Andalusian cities of Malaga, Granada, Castellon and Tarragona were considered particularly at risk, where total rainfall is forecast to reach 180 ^mm/m2.

Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for the predictions to come true. Flooding in Málaga became a reality as early as the evening, after 78 ^mm/m2 fell in the city within an hour. The province was placed on its highest red alert status, which had already been changed to orange by Thursday morning. Unfortunately, several hours of heavy rain brought a total of 142 ^mm/m2.

Flash flooding in Málaga

Experiencing the dramatic consequences of the first wave of the DANA phenomenon in Spain, Andalusian authorities responded to the flooding in Málaga in an immediate manner. On Wednesday, 3,000 people living in the immediate vicinity of the Campanillas and Guadalhorce rivers, where the risk of water rising from the banks was highest, were evacuated. As early as 4 p.m., the water flow in the Guadalhorce reached 168,000 liters per second.

However, heavy rainfall managed to paralyze much of the province. By early afternoon, emergency services had to intervene more than 450 times. In the city of Benamargosa, many homes were flooded. Parts of the capital were also flooded, including the main thoroughfare Avenida de Andalucía, which runs through the western part of the city. Water broke into the El Corte Inglés shopping center, and in the eastern part of Málaga, police along with the fire department had to evacuate 80 horses and dogs from a hippy center.

Flooding in Málaga has trapped hundreds of thousands of children at home, after Andalusian authorities decided to close 1,200 schools across the region. The Ministry of Transportation also suspended train service between Madrid and Málaga, as water threatened security systems. A number of local connections have also been canceled. Dramatic footage of the situation in the province is posted in real time on a special x Storm Malaga profile.

Guadalmedina cerca de su desembocadura, Málaga. pic.twitter.com/lQTkPmfPCe

– Dr. J.★ (@Juanjo_de_akkad) November 13, 2024

Valencia underwater again?

Fortunately, the flooding in Málaga was efficiently coordinated from the start and resulted in no fatalities. Now, however, precipitation associated with the DANA low is moving eastward, again threatening Valencia. This morning, Aemet predicted rains of up to 100 ^mm/m2 in 12 hours for the region, and an orange alert is in effect across the province. As of 10 a.m., 80 ^mm/m2 had fallen in Valencia, but so far the areas hardest hit by the flooding two weeks ago are relatively safe.

In the province of Granada, which lies in the path of the shifting low, warnings have been issued for strong sea waves that can reach 3m. There has been local flooding in the capital itself, and in the coastal towns of Motril and Almuñecar, sea water has broken into the streets.

Turbulent weather over the Spanish coast is not letting up, once again proving the reality of climate change. According to Aemet analysts, a red meteorological alert since 2020 has been ordered in the country for only 0.25 percent of precipitation warnings – but its frequency is increasing. In Valencia since 2007, as many as 40 percent of red warnings have been issued during the activation of the DANA phenomenon in September 2019 and October 2024.