FEARS of catastrophic floods have sparked urgent evacuations in Malaga province after Spain’s state weather agency issued fresh alerts for the Costa del Sol from Wednesday.
Serrania de Ronda, northwest of Malaga, is now under a red warning as forecasters predict “extraordinarily dangerous” rainfall of up to 200 litres per square metre in just 24 hours, according to AEMET.
Residents in the rural zones of Navares y Tejares, Llano de la Cruz and La Indiana – where homes sit perilously close to riverbanks – have been offered emergency shelter after abandoning their homes, Ronda council confirmed.
It comes as Atlantic Storm Leonardo barrels towards Spain in what experts are calling the peninsula’s wettest winter blast since 2020.
AEMET has also hoisted a red alert in Grazalema in Cadiz province, while the rest of the Costa del Sol is on orange alert for a triple threat of torrential rain, fierce winds and dangerous seas.
The agency upgraded its earlier warnings – previously orange for Serrania de Ronda and yellow for the rest of the Costa del Sol – as the threat level intensified earlier this morning.
All alerts will stay in force for 24 hours from midnight on Wednesday, AEMET said.
A red AEMET warning is the most serious weather alert possible, signalling an extreme threat to life and property and urging people to avoid travel, stay indoors and follow official instructions to the letter.
READ MORE: Andalucia schools will shut as storm set to cause continued weather chaos and heavy downpours
In response, Andalucia has now activated its ‘Level Two’ emergency plan – a major escalation that unlocks regional and national resources and boosts coordination between agencies.
The move allows authorities to deploy extra rescue teams, restrict access to high-risk areas and issue urgent public safety orders.
The regional government has already suspended all school activities across Andalucia starting tomorrow, except in Almeria province.
Storm Leonardo is expected to slam southern Spain with relentless rain bands, powerful gusts and pounding coastal swell, raising the risk of flash floods, overflowing rivers and widespread disruption across the region.
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