RESIDENTS across the Costa del Sol are being warned to leave their freshly washed cars in the garage and cover their terrace furniture as a massive Saharan dust cloud sweeps into southern Spain.
This is because an isolated cold storm named Regina is currently pumping a huge tongue of dust up from Africa and over the Iberian peninsula.
The meteorological phenomenon, known locally as a calima, is expected to mix with the incoming weather front tomorrow to produce muddy precipitation often referred to as ‘blood rain’.
While the dry dust is already beginning to settle across the region today, the main event is forecast for Wednesday morning.
Rain showers will travel up from Morocco and concentrate heavily along the Gulf of Cadiz, the Strait of Gibraltar and the Alboran Sea.
Andalucia is expected to see the highest accumulation of mud, with expat hotspots like Malaga and Marbella set to experience dramatic orange skies and dirty downpours.
The muddy mix will then push further north and east during the afternoon, reaching the Valencian Community, Catalonia and central parts of the country.
Taking to social media, prominent meteorologist Mario Picazo warned that the extreme weather is not just limited to falling dirt.
“The storm Regina is going to generate warnings for rain, wind and waves these next few days, although one of the great protagonists is going to be the calima,” he said.
The Canary Islands are already taking the brunt of the storm today, with strong northwesterly winds, heavy showers and even snow falling in mountainous areas above 1,700 metres.
Only the northwest of Spain will entirely escape the muddy deluge, remaining largely clear and sunny safely outside of Regina’s reach.
Click here to read more Weather News from The Olive Press.
