What weather can Malaga and the Costa del Sol expect this weekend?

The UK Met Office has issued two red weather warnings and asked people to stay at home in recent days because of Storm Eunice, one of the worst storms in a generation. It is heading towards Spain now, so what weather can we expect this weekend? Is it likely that Malaga province will be affected?

Probably not, say weather experts here. The weather will be changeable and Storm Eunice will bring a trough of polar air which will affect much of Spain but in Malaga, although it will be cooler, nothing dramatic is expected.

Spain's Aemet meteorological agency says skies will be mainly clear on Friday with some cloud building up during the afternoon and the possibility of fog on the coast. Minimum temperatures inland will be slightly higher and will remain stable on the coast, while maximum temperatures will be slightly lower. Malaga city can expect a high of 22Cand a low of 12C, whereas in Ronda people can expect a minimum of 7C and a maximum of 20. Antequera will be similar, with a low of 8C and a high of 22. Winds will be mainly from the east, light and variable, and increasing along the coast.

On Saturday the whole of the Malaga coastline and mountain areas will be buffeted by a strong westerly wind until early afternoon, and then it will change sharply and become easterly with blustery intervals. Weather expert José Luis Escudero, who writes the Tormentas y Rayos blog for SUR, says there are likely to be showers along the coast and in the Guadalhorce Valley on Saturday night and in the early hours of Sunday morning.

This change in wind direction and possible rain will be due to a front which is not particularly active but is accompanied by a trough which may close up and form a pocket of cold air in the Gulf of Cadiz area, says Escudero, and as a result the maximum temperatures will drop slightly.

On Sunday the probability of rain will drop and there will be an easterly wind with moderate gusts on the coast and strong out to sea. José Escudero says it is possible that a yellow warning will be issued due to high waves, and the maximum temperatures will be normal for this time of year.