Storm Claudia wreaks havoc in southern Spain, in photos and videos

Storm Claudia, which has caused more than 620 incidents in the Andalucía region since Thursday, hit the province of Huelva the hardest yesterday, causing the Junta to activate operational situation 1 of the Flood Risk Plan (PERI). The Minister of Health, Presidency and Emergencies, Antonio Sanz, gave the order after half past five in the afternoon, as reported through the 112 Andalucía emergency service's account on the social media network X.

While this alert is active, caution is recommended and not to travel unless necessary.

The Junta explained on X that "operational situation 1 refers to emergencies that can be controlled through the use of ordinary means and resources available within the regional government of Andalucía or with occasional support from resources whose mobilisation requires specific coordination by the central bodies of the national civil protection system".

It was after the storm had hit Nerva with particular virulence, where a waterspout caused the Santa María ravine to overflow. Although the rapid action of the emergency services and local residents prevented major damage, the event brought to mind the serious flooding suffered in the municipality in 2019.

The incident happened in the early afternoon when the Santa María ravine, which crosses the municipality underground, was already accumulating a large amount of water at its headwaters. The heavy downpour dragged trunks, branches and other plant debris that have been clogging small bridges and dams along the riverbed, until it finally collapsed, causing the overflow at the height of the Pozo Bebé neighbourhood, in the northern part of the town.

Immediately, streams of water formed and ran through several streets of the town. The Local Police and the town council's works services reacted quickly, opening channels and manholes to facilitate the evacuation of the water, with the cooperation of the residents themselves. Thanks to this rapid response, the damage was limited.

The same emergency warning also affected the province of Seville, which yesterday experienced some complicated moments. The heavy rains caused the collapse of part of the main road near El Castillo de las Guardas with a vertical drop of several metres that split the road in two. Guardia Civil officers and road maintenance workers were quickly on the scene after a vehicle carrying four occupants fell into it, cordoning off the area and diverting traffic. The four people were treated by medical professionals, but their condition after the incident has not been released.

In the province of Cordoba, up to 60mm were recorded, which flooded some roads, although without damage. In addition to significant rainfall, the extreme atmospheric instability of storm Claudia caused unusual phenomena in this area, such as small tornadoes and "tubas", which were seen in several parts of the province, including Pedro Abad and La Carlota.

Tubas are small vortices of air that develop within thunderstorm clouds. Although they are usually smaller than tornadoes, they can be equally dangerous. They occur when rising air in a thunderstorm begins to spin due to a change in wind direction or speed. If this spinning intensifies, a tuba can form, in some cases touching the ground.

The state meteorological agency (Aemet) maintained the yellow warning active in the countryside, Sierra and Pedroches, and Subbética areas for heavy rainfall (up to 40mm may accumulate in some areas) and winds with gusts that could reach up to 70 kilometres per hour.