Málaga Faces Extreme Weather: Red Alert for Heavy Rain and Flooding
The State Meteorological Agency AEMET has elevated the heavy rain warning to red starting at 10:00 AM in parts of Málaga province. This alert particularly impacts the regions of Axarquía, the Costa del Sol, and Guadalhorce, where residents are bracing for severe weather conditions. From 3:00 PM, the warning will downgrade to orange in both Axarquía and Costa del Sol, as well as in Antequera on the coast of Granada and in the Genil region. However, the situation is expected to deteriorate later in the morning.
In other areas, a yellow warning will be introduced from 6:00 AM, affecting the Málaga region of Ronda, Sierra Nevada, the Alpujarras in Granada, the Subbética in Córdoba, and Sierra Sur in Seville. The Junta de Andalucía has activated the flood risk emergency plan to operational phase 1 due to anticipated heavy rains beginning early Wednesday in Málaga and Granada. Regional Minister of the Presidency Antonio Sanz attributed the escalation of the emergency level to technical reports and coordination with impacted municipalities.
Sanz urged citizens via social media platform X to exercise extreme caution and heed the advice of emergency services. In response to the dire weather forecasts, the University of Málaga (UMA) has decided to suspend all activities at its centers for Wednesday. Additionally, the Junta de Andalucía has announced that classes will be canceled on the same day for all levels of education—ranging from Early Childhood Education to University—in five regions of Málaga and three municipalities in Granada affected by the expected heavy rain.
The affected regions in Málaga include Antequera, Axarquía, Málaga capital, Costa del Sol, and Guadalhorce. In Granada, classes will be suspended in the municipalities of Almuñécar, Motril, and Albuñol, as confirmed by Emergencias 112.
Evacuations are also set to take place along the Guadalhorce river in the municipalities of Álora, Cártama, Alhaurín de la Torre, Pizarra, and Málaga, which recently experienced overflow due to rising water levels. With officials on high alert, residents are urged to stay informed and follow local advisories to ensure their safety during this extreme weather event.
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