Amber Edirisinghe
THE Costa del Sol and nearly 1000 firefighters held their breath as rain finally arrived to help extinguish the worst fire for decades.
Weather forecasters had only given it a 30% chance of rain today… but it seems the gods finally answered. At least to some extent.
The Sierra Bermeja mountains above Estepona were certainly shrouded in cloud at dawn.
And at around 2.30/3pm the rain finally came – having also showered a bit inland in the early hours – but it was anything but heavy!
Miguel Ángel Herrera, the mayor of Genalguacil Pueblo-Museo described the rain that began in the early hours in the Sierra Bermeja as ‘a miracle’.
However the situation quickly changed as the raindrops that gave him hope came to an end at 00:50.
Spanish meteorologist Juan Antonio Salado tweeted a clip of director of the regional operational centre of Infoca, Juan Sanchez talking about the rain.
In the clip, Sanchez explained that “The rain is not going to put out the fire. If we had the main thrust of the squall that is going to enter the northwest of Spain (Galicia), it could probably be enough to put out the fire. The amount of heat that the active areas give off is not going to be extinguished with the rain,” he insisted, adding more positively: “In the areas that we have already controlled, the rain will at least help us to shorten the period of danger and not last for weeks”
READ MORE:
- Storm to bring much needed rain to help fight Spain’s Sierra Bermeja wildfire
- ANALYSIS: Why is the Sierra Bermeja wildfire in hills above Spain’s Costa del Sol the fiercest in recent years…
- EXPLAINED: Sierra Bermeja blaze classified as the first ‘sixth generation’ wildfire in Spain
