The rains have already led to the evacuation of more than 7,500 people from their homes, as a precaution, in Andalusia in recent days and there are records of flooding and road closures in several regions of Spain, as well as warnings of the risk of rivers overflowing
The Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, warned this Friday that “complicated days” still lie ahead because of the intense rain that is hitting the Iberian Peninsula.
Also Juanma Moreno, president of the government of the region of Spain that is having the most problems with last week’s bad weather, Andalusia, in the south of the country, warned that the bad weather, “regrettably, has not ended and episodes of rain are still continuing, some intense”.
The rains have already led to the evacuation of more than 7,500 people from their homes, as a precaution, in Andalusia in recent days and there are records of flooding and road closures in several regions of Spain, as well as warnings of the risk of rivers overflowing.
Sánchez today flew by helicopter over the areas of Andalusia most affected by rains and floods and said at the end that the next few days will still be difficult, appealing to the population for prudence, tranquility and patience and for the recommendations and information from the authorities to be followed.
“Complicated days are coming because a new front will enter tomorrow [sábado]. We are experiencing very adverse, very dangerous weather”, he stated, highlighting that “the soil can no longer absorb water and expels it”.
Sánchez expressed empathy and solidarity with the populations that are being affected by “rains that never end” and that are forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes, as well as cutting roads and suspending train travel.
Insisting on the appeal for “understanding and patience”, the leader of the Spanish Government called for “trust in experts, in those who really know how to manage this type of climate emergency” and who make decisions to “fundamentally safeguard lives”, which “is the most important thing”.
Without providing concrete data, the leader of the Spanish Government promised support to the populations also for “the reconstruction and revival of areas affected” by the rains.
The Spanish Government has already sent more than ten thousand members of the armed forces, national security forces and other structures managed by the central State to Andalusia last week because of the bad weather.
These resources are in addition to those of the autonomous government of Andalusia, which is responsible for civil protection and emergency services in the region.
The president of the Andalusian Junta (regional government), who on Thursday admitted that the situation caused by the rains is unprecedented, “never seen” in the region, also stressed today that the bad weather will continue.
“Tomorrow [sábado] there is a forecast of precipitation, in some places abundant”, and for Monday a new storm is predicted, the Marta depression, with the possibility of intense rains in Andalusia, said Juanma Moreno.
Rivers and dams are already full and new rains “could make the situation even more difficult”, with overflows and the need for discharges that will cause “flooding and damage”, he added.
“I ask Andalusians, as always, to be very cautious, because this, unfortunately, is not over yet and there are still episodes of rain, some intense, and we may have circumstances that are potentially dangerous”, warned Juanma Moreno, who admitted the possibility of there being a need to remove more people from their homes, as a precaution.
A person died in the Málaga region of Andalusia after being swept away by a watercourse on Tuesday while trying to save a dog, local authorities confirmed.
