From Digital Editor

Walter Finch

Dear Olive Press readers,

The big news this week is of course – as it often is – the weather. More specifically, the triple whammy of storms that have swung in from the Atlantic and given Spain and Portugal a real battering.

It began with Storm Kristin (actually it didn’t there were more storms before but we’re just starting there to keep this newsletter readable) at the tail end of January. This powerful front was actually the product of two Atlantic storms fusing together, which created a rare ‘jet sting’ phenomenon that brought hurricane-force winds to Spain. Suffice to say, it ripped off roofs, blew lorries over and tore down signs.

But that was just the warm up act. Freshest in the memory will probably be ‘off the charts’ Storm Leonardo, which has created some of the most devastating conditions in Andalucia in living memory. It brought the feared red alerts to Ronda, inland Cadiz and the Campo de Gibraltar – plus luxury enclave Sotogrande.

And it lived up to the threat. As well as virtually sinking Granada, it sent flood waters through central Malaga, caused Sevilla’s floodgates to close for only the second time in history, and absolutely hammered the Costa del Sol. Mass evacuations total around 7,000 at the time of writing.

But its most remarkable feat was the incredible deluge it dropped on Grazalema, a picturesque mountain town in the Sierra de Cadiz. Almost 600mm fell on the pueblo in less than 24 hours, causing water to pour from walls and plug sockets.

Finally, Andalucian president Juanma Moreno ordered the entire town of around 2,000 to be evacuated over fears that underground pressures were building and could cause catastrophic eruptions and landslides – literally rip the ancient town apart.

And the even worse news is that mother nature isn’t done – expect Storm Marta this weekend, which while not as fierce, will only add to already-overflowing rivers and saturated earth – and the region’s woes.

On that note, here’s this week’s Editor’s picks:

EDITOR'S (NON-WEATHER RELATED) PICKS:

The first home has now been demolished to make way for the controversial Plan Larios golf resort development on the Costa del Sol. Apparently with the owner’s cat still inside. Around 80 families are facing a similar fate in the march of mass-tourism.

Our travel expert Fiona Govan lays out the four new towns added to Spain’s prestigious Most Beautiful Villages in Spain list. There’s one in Valencia, one Castilla y Leon – and two in Galicia. It’s not easy to make the list and the pueblos have to meet stringent criteria. Check out our article to see where they are.

Here’s one you won’t be expecting. If you’ve been keeping up with the wider news, you may have cottoned on to the fact that a new tranche of the Epstein files have been released – and they’re causing an almighty stir. But did you also know that The Olive Press features in the files? Not in any sinister way, we hasten to assure you. But we’re in there. Check it out.

And let’s finish off this week with a slice of traditional Costa del Crime. Spain’s Policia Nacional were proud to announce that they’d tracked down and arrested the narcos who shot at their officers during a stand off in the Sevilla marshes last November. And the investigation took a very interesting and winding road – right to doorsteps in Marbella and Mijas.