Twenty municipalities in Malaga activate emergency plans after Aemet issues red alert for heavy rain in the province

A red level weather warning for heavy rain has been activated in Malaga province this Monday afternoon, 3 March. Spain's state meteorological agency (Aemet) upgraded the exisiting amber alert for heavy downpours in parts of the area. Specifically, the most potentially dangerous situation is seen in Ronda and the Serrania, where up to 120mm could accumulate, according to the forecasters. This could happen until 7pm today. In fact, mobile phones in the Serranía de Ronda area have already received an emergency ES-Alert notification, part of the country's Civil Protection system. The meteorologists warn that "stationary downpours are occurring in the area around Pujerra".

Twenty municipalities in Malaga have activated their local emergency plans as Aemet upgraded the red alert for heavy rain in the province. Those that have activated their local Civil Protection territorial emergency plans (PTEL) include: Alhaurín el Grande, Álora, Alozaina, Benalmádena, Benabarra, Casares, Coín, Estepona, Igualeja Fuengirola, Malaga city, Manilva, Marbella, Rincón de la Victoria, Yunquera, Gaucín, Algatocín, Antequera, Torremolinos and Jimera de Líbar.

In response, the Junta de Andalucía has decided to move up on step in the Peri flood risk plan, which is already in the pre-emergency phase, to operational situation 1. A regional government spokesperson said that this decision corresponds to the Aemet's red warning for Ronda, while the amber level is maintained for the western Costa del Sol, Malaga city and the Guadalhorce Valley.

In the province of Malaga, the rain has already caused incidents in Fuengirola, Igualeja, Jubrique, Yunquera, El Burgo, Casarabonela, Carratraca and Teba, mostly due to incidents on the roads. The MA-7304 was closed between kilometres 3.5 and 6.8 in both directions, in Igualeja, but it has now been reopened. In this municipality, Guardia Civil officers rescued a vehicle that was being swept away by the current in the area. The entrance and exit to Carratraca at the access to the Arroyo de Las Cañas is also cut off due to the overflowing of the river as a result of the continuous rainfall.

In the El Burgo area, one of the worst affected by the rains, Plan Infoca has even deployed two groups of forest firefighters and a fire engine to carry out drainage and conditioning work in the area of the industrial estate.

At the same time, Igualeja town hall, in agreement with the Junta de Andalucía's education department and following the meeting of the alert committee, took the decision to close the infant and primary school of the municipality early. However, this decision was taken just a few minutes before 2pm, when the schoolchildren were already scheduled to leave for the end of the school day, reports Vanessa Melgar. Shortly afterwards, Ronda town hall decreed the suspension of municipal activities, as well as the closure of the library, parks, the cemetery and social centres.

The river Guadalevín has also overflowed its banks in the area of Navares and Tejares, in Ronda, in the vicinity of the ring road. As a result, the local council is cordoning off the area and a road has been closed to traffic in this area, which gives access to various properties. The same has been done with the Camino de los Molinos del Tajo. The same has happened with the River Turón as it passes through El Burgo. According to the mayor, María Dolores Narváez, the river has overflowed at several points as it passes through the municipality and it has even been necessary to rescue a local resident whose house was flooded. Members of the Malaga provincial fire brigade (CPB) carried out this rescue.

Aemet has also decided to extend the timing of the amber warning in the rest of the affected areas at least until 6pm, according to the latest information from the agency.

Therefore, until then there is a risk of downpours dropping up to 80mm in 12 hours.

As for Antequera, a yellow warning has been activated for possible accumulated rainfall of up to 40mm over the course of the day, more likely in the western half of the area. In addition, there is another active warning: yellow (slight risk) for accumulated rainfall in one hour, which could discharge up to 25mm (again, in the same areas indicated). Although there is no longer a warning for coastal phenomena, Malaga province is being hit by an easterly storm.