Beaches closed to bathers

Mother Nature, who sometimes behaves like Snow White's wicked stepmother, has had us completely miserable this month of August, where earthquakes coincided with a storm that contaminated the waters of Malaga's beaches with fecal bacteria and forced their closure to bathers.

To make matters worse, there was a heavy, suffocating heat capable of melting sweat-soaked bodies.

The start of the Malaga Fair went off with a bang.

Just minutes after the fireworks ended, an earthquake caused panic among residents. Calmer heads had barely prevailed after the tremor when a loud thunderstorm broke out with intense lightning.

It was a night without sleep.

The heavens opened up with a downpour during the early hours between Friday and Saturday earlier this month, and several hours later, six Malaga beaches were closed as a precaution after the water exceeded the maximum allowed levels of Escherichia coli (E. coli) - a bacteria found in the digestive tracts of humans and animals, whose high concentration indicated fecal contamination in the sea.

In the middle of the fair, with the city full of tourists and the heat beating down heavily, the red flag warning against taking a dip painted a terrible picture.

The prestige of the Costa del Sol's capital has taken a hit.

Both locals and visitors alike suffered during the days they were unable to swim. That is an undeniable fact and an issue that has highlighted the urgent need to overhaul Malaga's entire sanitation system.

The explanation offered by the city council as to why the sea was contaminated with fecal bacteria was that, following the rain from the storm, relief discharges had to be made at various points along the sewage network to prevent pipe failure (as rainwater and wastewater converge in certain stretches of the system) and avoid flooding.

Be that as it may, closing beaches at a time of high visitor turnout represents a major reputational blow that Malaga simply does not deserve.