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Murcia storm report: Winds and heavy rains cause flood of emergencies
Roads have been closed as nearly 100 litres of rain fall per square metre in some areas
The heavens have opened as a DANA (an isolated depression at high levels) storm or Gota Fría pummels the Region of Murcia and the rest of southern and eastern Spain.
The storm has unleashed a heavy downpour of water, accompanied by strong gusts of wind, during the early hours of morning Tuesday morning, October 29.
Schools have been closed in many towns around the Region to minimise the risks associated with the movement of people outside when it is this wet and windy.
In Cartagena, the emergency services received 17 calls from concerned locals due to incidents related to wind and rain early this morning, mostly for trees, street signs and other things which had been blown over by the wind.
There was also a power cut in Los Nietos, on the Mar Menor coast, while a person had to be rescued who was trapped inside their car in Molina de Segura.
On the coast of Águilas, a sailing boat sank in the harbour due to the rough condition of the sea.
☔️💦 En #Aguilas un velero⛵️ fondeado se ha hundido por el temporal en el 🌊
— Onda Regional (@ORMurcia) October 29, 2024
📹 Ayuntamiento de Águilas pic.twitter.com/pbD4pp5nJ7
In Lorca, rainfall data for the last 12 hours provided by the CHS water authority shows that there were 12.4 litres per square metre of rain falling in the city centre, while the outlying district of Zarzadilla de Totana received as much as 21 litres. There was also a tree that fell in the wind, blocking traffic on the Carretera de Águilas road.
In La Manga del Mar Menor, strong gusts of wind of up to 70-80kmh caused rubbish containers and other objects to be dragged along the streets early this morning:
¡Menudo vendaval! Rachas de hasta 70-80 km/h. Esta noche (28/10/2024), así sopla el viento de componente este o levante en el entorno de #LaManga del #MarMenor, tirando al suelo o arrastrando contenedores y otros objetos. Vídeo: @sosmarmenorofi. pic.twitter.com/BIs5nTHNMu
— MeteOrihuela (@MeteOrihuela) October 28, 2024
In the early hours of the morning, in Caravaca de la Cruz there were traffic problems due to the accumulation of water on the RM-730 road, connecting the Northwest motorway with the Cavila industrial estate and access to the Nueva Caravaca housing estate.
The CHS has recorded rainfall of 48.4 litres per square metre in Caravaca de la Cruz; 45.7 litres per square metre in Cieza; and in both Ulea and Blanca 41.8 litres per square metre.
In Cehegín, reports say that as much as 100 litres of rain fell per square metre.
¡Impresionante! Más de 100 litros por metro cuadrado en puntos del noroeste de la #RegiónDeMurcia. Esta mañana (29/10/2024), vistas hacia la cascada que se ha formado en el Barranco del Saltador, en el extrarradio de #Cehegín (#Murcia). Vídeo: @DaniCehegin. pic.twitter.com/mDAiKcfDq3
— MeteOrihuela (@MeteOrihuela) October 29, 2024
In Murcia city, the Policía Local has closed several roads to traffic due to the rain.
In Almería’s town of El Ejido, just over the border from Murcia, they reported getting hailstones the size of ping pong balls.
For today, the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) has activated weather warnings in the entire Region of Murcia for rain, storms and strong winds for much of the early part of the day.
In the north around Yecla and Jumilla and in the south around Cartagena and the Mar Menor, it is a yellow-level warning, and in the centre, southwest and northwest areas it will be an orange-level warning.
The entire coastline of Murcia will also be on yellow alert for high waves until midday.
For now, the weather forecast for Wednesday is for dry, if somewhat foggy, conditions.
What to do in a Gota Fría storm
Emergency services and local councils have appealed to people to be cautious and to refrain from crossing flood-prone areas.
Measures recommended by the Directorate General for Public Safety and Emergencies include avoiding high areas like mountains and hills; staying away from trees, metal objects and fences; always staying inside buildings; closing doors and windows in homes; and unplugging electrical appliances.
The Emergency Coordination Centre 112 also recommends staying informed via their official channels and keeping tabs on the welfare of the most vulnerable family members, i.e. parents and children.
>>> Follow our Murcia Weather Watch Facebook group for more weather updates or see our Weather & Climate page <<<
Images 1 & 4: Protección Civil Murcia
Image 2: Ayuntamiento de Cartagena
Image 3: Ayuntamiento de Lorca
Image 5: Ayuntamiento de Murcia
Image 6: Aemet
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