Warnings sound on mobile phones as red 'extreme danger' weather alert issued for 27 municipalities in Malaga and along Costa del Sol
The alert was activated due to the possibility of 120mm of rain falling in a twelve-hour period, and it will remain in place until four o'clock on Sunday morning
The heavy downpours of rain and strong gusts of wind will continue to batter many parts of the Costa del Sol and Malaga this Saturday evening, and will continue to do so during the night.
Much of the province has remained under an amber alert throughout the day and this evening Spain's state meteorological agency (Aemet) has activated the red warning for "extreme danger". It will remain in force until four o'clock in the morning and to alert the general population the mobile phone alarms have sounded again, as the ES-Alert system of Civil Protection alert system wa s activated just after 9pm. The warning is justified, as up to 120mm of rain could be collected in 12 hours.
The Civil Protection message reads: "Given the current situation: exercise extreme caution and avoid unnecessary travel.
"Do not cross flood-prone areas and obey road closures.
"Do not carry out activities in riverbeds or nearby areas. If you are in a flood-risk zone, seek higher ground or move to an upper floor."
The warning mainly affects the areas of the western Costa del Sol (which includes Malaga city) and the Guadalhorce valley, and from four o'clock in the morning the Aemet warning will initially be downgraded to yellow. It will remain at this level until ten o'clock in the morning, although rainfall is expected to continue throughout the day.The ES-Alert was specifically sent to mobile devices in 27 municipalities of the province including Malaga city, Alhaurín de la Torre, Alhaurín El Grande, Almogía, Álora, Alozaina, Benahavís, Benalmádena, Carratraca, Cártama, Casarabonela, Casares, Coín, Estepona, Fuengirola, Guaro, Istán, Málaga, Manilva, Marbella, Mijas, Monda, Ojén, Pizarra, Tolox, Valle de Abdalajís, Yunquera and Torremolinos.
