'Crazy February' storm brings 100mm of rain to the Costa del Sol which will be followed by rising temperatures

Temperatures are expected to rise today after the strong storm hit Malaga province on Monday, which triggered an amber 'serious risk' alert in some areas and brought up to 110mm of rain. On the morning of 3 February, Spain's state weather agency (Aemet) warned people of heavy downpours and hail that were expected to affect Malaga city, the western strip of the Costa del Sol and the Guadalhorce Valley. In contrast, today Aemet forecasts a rise in the maximum temperature on the coast of up to 18C and 20C over the weekend.

When the storm struck on the morning of 3 February, the Junta de Andalucía activated its pre-emergency phase (operational situation 0) of the Peri emergency plan for risks of floods. One of the worst affected areas was Torremolinos where, given the circumstances, school classes were suspended. 112 Andalucía emergency control centre operators registered more than a hundred calls concerning flooding of streets and roads, basements, premises and ground floors in different parts of the coastal strip. The most serious incidents involved people who were trapped in their cars and homes.

Benalmádena's fire brigade and the Local Police force rescued an elderly woman who showed signs of hypothermia after her home in the Windsor building in the marina was flooded. According to official sources, the woman was unable to get out due to her reduced mobility. The fire brigade also rescued two people who had become stuck in lifts.

In the early hours of Monday, a woman became trapped inside her car near El Pinillo station in Torremolinos, after the vehicle entered a huge pool of water in the Cercanías train line underpass. She was able to leave the car with the help of a local resident who witnessed the scene. The water covered the vehicle up to the roof. "She was alone and got out of the window at the last moment; I had to get into the water to hold her and accompany her home," said the resident.

Also on Monday, at around 9am, Fuengirola fire brigade crews rescued a family near the Miramar shopping centre, after the father and his two daughters, 4 and 2, were stuck in a pool of water that surrounded their car. Fortunately, the operation was quick and they were carried to safety.

According to a weather station of the Meteoclimatic amateur network, the stationary storm discharged more than 70mm over Torremolinos. In total, more than 100mm were recorded in the municipality throughout the morning. Meanwhile, in Mijas, a weather recording station of the Wunderground network registered a maximum of 125mm.

José Luis Escudero, a local Malaga weather expert, has compiled the recordings of various sources. Among them, those that stand out are the official Aemet rain gauge in Torremolinos, with 84mm; Torremolinos-El Pinillo (110); Benalmádena-Arroyo de la Miel (81); the Junta de Andalcucía's Hidrosur network station in the Sierra de Mijas (81); Arroyo de la Miel (65) and Alhaurín de la Torre (56).

"These storms can leave torrential rain in one area, while 30km away there will hardly be anything, as has happened in areas of Torremolinos, Benalmádena and Mijas, compared to Malaga city," said Escudero in his SUR blog 'Tormentas y Rayos' in SUR. "Look at the difference between the airport (32mm) and the port of Malaga (13), which are only a few kilometres away as the crow flies."

The bad news was that the storm was mainly localised on the coastal strip, which means that the reservoirs didn't benefit much. Yesterday's downpour, together with last week's rain, contributed to a very slight improvement in the water reserves.

Margarita del Cid, mayor of Torremolinos, was the first to react to the weather conditions and what they meant for the locals. Given the circumstances, the town hall recommended that classes on Monday were suspended and asked residents to take extreme precautions and avoid unnecessary journeys.

Those who had to travel along the coast experienced the full impact of the drought, which caused one of the worst traffic jams in recent memory. A large pool of water on the road caused flooding of the A-7 motorway near the Calaburras lighthouse in Mijas. To ensure safety, the traffic headquarters cut off the two right lanes in the direction of Marbella, where traffic had been ceased from 10am onwards. It was reopened again at midday.

During this two-hour period, the only alternative was the AP-7 toll motorway, but tolls were not waived and drivers had to pay. The A-7 motorway in the direction of Malaga remained open, but due to waterloggings there was a significant traffic jam throughout the morning.

The rain caused chaos on the A-7 between Mijas and Marbella. At around 9.40am, the motorway at the Faro de Calaburras lighthouse turned into a river. "The water completely covered the wheels of the cars and some people were left standing in the middle of the pool of water. We were very scared because we didn't know if it would reach the engine, which would have immobilised us, or if the water would sweep us away," said Ivone, who was driving in the area at that time.

"I have a transport company and the Mijas area is in a state of disarray at the moment - the exits are closed and my vans are stuck in heavy traffic... It's impossible to get near Miramar! It's impossible to get anywhere near Miramar," said Andrea. Many drivers, who shared their experience on social media networks, had to wait for more than an hour before they could move. The Facebook group 'Alertas de tráfico A-7 Málaga Marbella' collected the testimonials of those who were stuck in the traffic jam. "I've been stopped for an hour in direction of Marbella, does anyone know if it's an accident or something?" asked one user. "There are several cars stuck in the middle of the pool of water on the road," others stated.

Heavy rains also caused a traffic jam in Benalmádena. The Local Police force reported that the exit to the motorway in the direction of Malaga had been blocked and asked the public to avoid unnecessary journeys. They also cut off access to the town centre of La Cala de Mijas for a short period of time.