Storm Emilia leaves significant rainfall in parts of Malaga province after night of strong winds and torrential downpours
The highest accumulations were recorded in the Axarquia and the western Costa del Sol areas
The tail end of storm Emilia, which has been sweeping over a large part of Spain since the weekend, was felt in Malaga province early this Tuesday morning. Spain's state meteorological agency Aemet maintained an active yellow warning for heavy rain and storms along the entire coastline of the province until 7am.
According to data collected by Hidrosur, the largest accumulation of rainfall was recorded in the Axarquia area (47mm in Benamargosa river and 41.2mm in Alcaucín) and on the western Costa del Sol, with 43.6mm falling in Ojén in 12 hours.
Strong gusts of wind were felt in various municipalities, but especially in Mijas. In La Cala, several arches of Christmas lights have fallen. In Fuengirola, strong gusts have toppled trees and knocked down multiple containers.
The Aemet warning indicated that the western Costa del Sol, Malaga city, the Guadalhorce Valley and the Axarquia district would receive the heaviest rainfall from midnight onwards, with the possibility of concentrated rainfall of up to 15mm in one hour. One of the high points of the weather phenomenon happened between 2am and 3am, as forecast.
Temperature and rainfall forecasts
The yellow warning was deactivated at 7am this Tuesday morning. From midday onwards, the skies will remain cloudy but the risk of precipitation will be reduced to a minimum. Temperatures will remain in a narrow range between 12C minimum and 16C maximum in Malaga city. Winds will be westerly/north-westerly. No significant rainfall is expected during the rest of the week.
Reservoirs
During the early hours of Sunday to Monday, significant rainfall was recorded in a large part of the province. The most notable accumulations, according to data from the Junta de Andalucía's Hidrosur network, were measured in Los Reales (Cortes de la Frontera), with 12mm and around 9mm in the watercourses in addition to the Verde in the La Concepción reservoir (Guadalmina, Guadaiza and Guadalmansa).
For the moment, the rains of the last few days have passed over the province's reservoirs, which have barely gained more than half a million cubic metres. They have more than 278 million cubic metres in storage, which is 46% of their full capacity. Guadalteba, with 79, and Viñuela, with 70, are the two with the most water.
The watercourses, on the other hand, flow down with low or moderate flows, without any risk, according to the aforementioned network.
