ANDALUCIA is back on high alert today as the arrival of Storm Oriana threatens to unleash a fresh wave of chaos across a region already pushed to its breaking point.
Forecasters have issued an orange warning for Grazalema, where as much as 180mm of rain is expected to fall in just 24 hours.
The latest ‘sky river’ comes at a critical time for the white mountain village, which remains entirely empty after all 2,000 residents were evacuated earlier this month.
Authorities made the historic decision to clear the town amid fears that the limestone aquifer beneath it had become so saturated that the ground could effectively ‘explode’ or liquefy.
The situation remains dire as experts warn that the soil is now 100% saturated and ‘cannot swallow a single drop more,’ raising the immediate risk of catastrophic landslides.
Further yellow alerts have been activated for the Serrania de Ronda, which is currently on tenterhooks over the status of the full-to-the-brim Montejaque dam.
The century-old dam has been under under 24-hour surveillance, with sources telling the Olive Press it is expected to start overflowing into the Guardiaro valley today.
The water level was just 25cm from the top yesterday, and with the spillway already triggered, today’s torrential rain from Storm Oriana is expected to unleash more drama.
Further south in the western Costa del Sol, as much as 60mm of rain could fall by Saturday morning.
The province of Malaga is also bracing for gale-force winds of up to 70km/h, with a amber warning in place for coastal conditions as waves are expected to top three metres.
In a move reflecting the severity of the risk, regional authorities have extended school closures for Friday, with at least three centres in Malaga ordered to remain shut.
The hydrological risk across the south is now at its highest level in decades, with many major reservoirs including La Serena in Badajoz reaching 92% capacity.
Emergency technical releases are already being carried out at several dams to prevent overspilling, sending massive surges of water down already swollen rivers.
The Guadalquivir river in Cordoba was yesterday recorded flowing at more than 1,100 cubic metres per second, a volume that threatens to flood downstream communities.
However, meteorologists have offered a glimmer of hope, suggesting that Storm Oriana may be the last in the relentless ‘storm train’ that has battered Spain since late December.
Temperatures are expected to plummet by as much as 14C over the Valentine’s Day weekend, bringing a return to sunshine but with a significant chill.
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