A popular holiday destination for British tourists has been plunged into chaos after violent storms triggered severe flooding, prompting Spanish authorities to issue a rare and highest-level 'red weather alert'.
State of Emergency on the Coast
The intense rainfall began hitting western areas of the Costa del Sol shortly after midday on Saturday, sweeping eastwards across Malaga province. Spain's national weather bureau, AEMET, activated an unprecedented emergency response overnight as floodwaters reached critical levels.
The agency warned that up to 120 litres of rain per square metre could accumulate within just 12 hours. This led to the red alert for 'extreme danger' being declared across 27 municipalities in the Malaga region, including the hard-hit areas of the Sol and Guadalhorce valley.
Widespread Damage and Disruption
The torrential downpours have left a trail of destruction. Dramatic footage from the region shows roads transformed into raging rivers, with powerful currents sweeping away cars and debris. Fallen trees and destroyed vehicles are widespread, and authorities reported floodwaters reaching 'several metres in height' in some locations.
Key infrastructure has been damaged, including a section of the bridge over the Los Caballos river in Tolox. A fallen pine tree also forced the closure of a road connecting Casarabonela with El Burgo. In Cártama, a key road was cut off due to dangerously high water levels from the Guadalhorce river.
The disruption extended to air travel, with more than 20 flights bound for Malaga Airport diverted to alternatives in Seville, Almeria, Granada, Alicante, and Madrid.
Urgent Warnings and Ongoing Risk
Emergency services have been inundated with hundreds of reports. Officials are urgently advising both residents and tourists to avoid all non-essential travel and not leave their homes. Those in flood-prone areas are being told to seek higher ground immediately.
While the red alert covers the worst-affected zones, lower-level orange and yellow warnings remain in place for surrounding regions including Ronda, Antequera, Axarquía, the Granada coast, and parts of Almería and Cádiz.
This severe weather event follows other recent flooding incidents in Spain and underscores the increasing volatility of conditions in the region. The situation continues to be monitored closely as further bad weather is forecast.
