TEMPERATURES across Malaga province plunged below freezing on Wednesday morning as the Costa del Sol braced for ‘widespread frost’, Spain’s state weather agency has said.
On one of the coldest days of the year, the inland town of Fuente de Piedra recorded a biting -3.5C just before dawn, only rivalled by Antequera’s -3.4C and Ronda’s -1.4C, according to AEMET.
Teeth-chattering conditions were also reported in the villages of Cortes de la Frontera (-0.6C) and Gaucin (-0.5C) early in the morning, while much of the Costa del Sol hovered just above zero.
READ MORE:
- The toll of Storm Francis: Hundreds flee homes across Andalucia as floods ravage region and bridge collapses
- WATCH: Storm Francis wreaks havoc on the Costa del Sol as rivers burst and homes flood – with snow warnings now issued across Spain
- Woman rescued in Malaga after car is trapped in floodwater – as Storm Francis sparks emergency chaos across the province
AEMET has forecast “light, widespread frost” across Malaga’s hinterland in the coming hours – though Jesus Riesco, the agency’s director for the Malaga area, says temperatures are expected to rise again on Thursday as clear skies persist.
The cold snap comes just days after Storm Francis battered Andalucia, causing rivers to burst their banks amid torrential rainfall and forcing hundreds of residents to flee their homes due to severe flood risks.
Emergency services responded to more than 400 incidents across the region between Sunday and Monday alone, authorities said.
In one of the most terrifying incidents, the storm-swollen River Grande caused a bridge to collapse in Coin, west of Malaga.
In Monda, the retaining wall of a residential building gave way after floodwaters filled the structure.
Meanwhile, early on Monday, a woman was left trapped in her car near Malaga airport after inadvertently driving into waist-deep floodwater.
She was later rescued by emergency crews and did not require hospital treatment, officials confirmed.
Click here to read more Weather News from The Olive Press.
