Storm Joseph to dump more than 100mm of rainfall in Malaga province this week

Storm Joseph is arriving in the south of Spain this week to replace storm Ingrid and dump more rain "in large areas of Andalucía".

The interior of Malaga province expects rainfall of up to 150mm from Tuesday to Friday. While not as abundant, rainfall is also expected to leave its mark in the Costal del Sol, the Guadalhorce Valley and the Axarquia district.

All parts of the province, apart from the Antequera district, have an active warning for heavy rainfall. The heaviest downpours are expected in Serranía de Ronda on Tuesday - more than 70mm in 12 hours and 20mm in one hour.

According to state meteorological agency Aemet, up to 60mm could be collected in the Axarquia district during the first half of Tuesday.

There are also warnings about potential accumulations of 40mm on the Costa del Sol and in the Guadalhorce Valley. The heaviest downpours in the province will occur between 6am and 6pm on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, the rain from 6am to 9pm will again leave 40 to 50mm in large areas. These unstable conditions will persist for most of the week, at least until Friday, 30 January.  

Aemet has also activated a warning for strong winds for Tuesday, expecting gusts of 80km/h from the west. The conditions at sea could also be rough, with west and south-west winds of 50 to 60km/h (force 7) and waves of three metres.

The warning for coastal phenomena rises to amber on Wednesday, with winds from the west and south-west of 60 to 80km/h (force 8 to 9) and waves that will reach four to five metres. It is important to note that the storm causes less damage when it comes from the west.

SUR's weather expert José Luis Escudero predicts that this new storm will give a boost to the province's reservoirs. He believes that they could reach 80% of their capacity by the end of this wet spell.

If the forecast has correctly guessed the location of the heaviest downpours, the reservoirs that will most benefit are La Concepción and Guadalteba. The former will probably have to release water due to its low capacity set for safety reasons.

A considerable increase is also expected in La Viñuela, which supplies the driest area of the province, the Axarquia district.

On the other hand, the cold will ease its grip on the province. Temperatures along the coast will be very mild this week, due to both the transition to a warner air mass and the warm 'terral' wind.

Maximum temperatures will be around 20C for most of the week. A minimum of 15C is expected in Malaga city and the Costa del Sol.

Maximum temperatures in interior parts of the province, the Antequera for example, will be around 15C, with a small drop to 8-10C in minimum values. Both are unusually high for the season.

Although Malaga will feel the effects of storm Joseph, the situation in the south is nowhere near the "adverse weather conditions" in several other regions. Rainfall will be especially intense in Galicia, where Aemet has activated a red warning for the interior of Pontevedra - the wettest spot in Europe this week.

Very heavy rainfall is expected over large parts of mainland Spain until Saturday. The European model forecasts exceptional accumulations, with more than 500mm in exposed areas in the west of Pontevedra.

In Galicia, León and Zamora, 100-150mm will be exceeded. The Central System and several mountain ranges in the south and south-east could exceed 200mm, with even higher peaks. Numerous mountains in the north and in the interior will also reach or exceed 100mm.