Storm Dana: Maximum Red Weather Alerts Raised In Madrid, Toledo, Cadiz; Floods Expected Across Spain

(Photo : Getty Images/Oscar Del Pozo Canas)

Officials have raised maximum red alerts in some areas in Spain amid the onslaught of Storm Dana.

As torrential rains brought massive floods across the country, authorities were forced to issue maximum red weather alerts in areas such as Madrid, Toledo and Cádiz regions.

Effects

Residents in Madrid have been warned by Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida to be extra cautious to ensure their safety amid the bad weather.

"Given the red alert from the AEMET, we ask the people of Madrid to exercise extreme caution and limit travel as much as possible due to the storms expected today," Almeida said.

"Municipal services are forewarned and working to minimize the possible consequences of the Dana," the mayor added.

Ante la alerta roja de la AEMET, pedimos a los madrileños extremar la precaución y limitar al máximo desplazamientos por las tormentas previstas en la jornada de hoy.

Los servicios municipales están prevenidos y trabajando para minimizar las posibles consecuencias de la DANA.
— José Luis Martínez-Almeida (@AlmeidaPP_) September 3, 2023

The mayor assured the residents that emergency and security services have been reinforced and measures to deal with the bad weather have already been activated since Friday of last week.

He further advised Madrid residents to stay at home due to the foreseen heavy amount of rainfall that Dana would bring in.

Weather experts noted that much of the heavy rains, which was brought by Dana, has been concentrated in coastal regions around Cádiz, Tarragona and Castelló.

Meanwhile, it was observed in the eastern province of Castelló that the inundation had prompted firefighters to rescue a man who had been trapped in his car, which was surrounded by waist-deep flood water.

Aside from the residents in Madrid, people living in the north-eastern city of Alcanar, Tarragona were also advised to avoid unnecessary trips. These areas experienced around 215 liters per square meter of rain fell in a 24-hour period.

Furthermore, the torrential downpours have caused debris and mud to slide onto Spanish roads. Due to this phenomenon, many vehicles have struggled to move in and pass through areas that are heavily flooded.

On the other hand, the operations of some train services have also been suspended across Spain and drivers have been warned to avoid certain flooded roads in areas that have been submerged in waters.

The bad weather also prompted the Spanish football league to postpone the Atletico Madrid's home game with Sevilla after it had considered the warnings from the weather service and the recommendation of Madrid's municipal government.

Downpours after heat wave

Meteorologists said that the intense downpours come after Spain had experienced and endured an intense heat wave and persistent high temperatures during the month of August.

According to the Met Office, a jet stream - which has been bringing largely unsettled spells of weather to the United Kingdom - is continuing to shift north, allowing higher pressure to build widely across the country.

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Chris Bulmer said that fine and settled conditions will develop, adding that along with this weather condition, residents will then see a rise in temperature across most parts of the UK this week.

Weather experts said that many places could expect to see maximum temperatures rise to 25 degree Celsius or above for several days, which would bring some locations into the realm of heatwave conditions.

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