Coastal areas of Valencia were placed under the highest alert on Wednesday evening. Forecasters said up to seven inches of rain could fall there within five hours
Spain floods: Water pours into Malaga shop through ceiling
This is the shocking moment rain gushes out of a shop ceiling in Costa del Sol – prompting officials to put the country on red alert.
Locals in Malaga captured the moment water gushed from the roof of El Corte Ingles, damaging products and flooding the shop floor. Staff could only watch as items are drenched and ruined by the devastating floods. It comes as new storms in Spain caused school closures and train cancellations on Wednesday, two weeks after flash floods in Valencia and other parts of the country killed more than 220 people and destroyed thousands of homes.
Coastal areas of Valencia were placed under the highest alert on Wednesday evening. Forecasters said up to 7 inches of rain could fall there within five hours.
Cleanup efforts in parts of Valencia hardest hit by the October 29 storm were still continuing, and there were concerns over what more rain could bring to streets still covered with mud and debris.
In the southern Malaga province, streets were flooded, while 3,000 people near the Guadalhorce river were moved from their homes as a preventive measure. Schools across the province were closed, along with many stores. The train service was canceled between Malaga and Madrid, and between Barcelona and Valencia. Valencia’s regional government also restricted the use of private vehicles until Thursday in areas hit by the October storm, when tsunami-like floods caused severe car pile-ups.
There were no reports of deaths due to the new storms. Spanish weather forecaster AEMET put Malaga on red alert, saying up to 70 millimeters (roughly 3 inches) of rain had accumulated in an hour. Parts of Tarragona province in the east also faced heavy rain and remained under red alert.
The forecast in Malaga delayed the start of the Billie Jean King Cup tennis finals between Spain and Poland, which was set for Wednesday.
The storm system affecting Spain is caused by warm air that collides with stagnant cold air and forms powerful rain clouds. Experts say that drought and flood cycles are increasing with climate change.