Heavy rains return to Valencia and Murcia

The Spanish National Meteorological Institute (INM) has forecast further heavy rain in Malaga, Almeria, Ibiza, Mallorca and Tarragona and very heavy downpours in the Comunidad Valenciana and in the province of Murcia, with persistent fog on the Asturian and Cantabrian coastlines.

The Costa Blanca and Levante is forcast to have continued bad weather. Following the torrential rain that caused serious flooding in various villages and towns near Alicante last weekend, the National Meteorological Institute has issued a new warning of further heavy rain in this region. The news is a blow to residents who are still clearing up the mud and debris from homes in villages along the coast of the Costa Blanca and inland.

Moderate showers with some storms are expected in the interior and to the south of the Valencian Region with particularly heavy rains in southern parts of the province of Alicante.

The cost of repairing the damage caused by the storms at the end of last week is estimated to reach several millions of euros. Hundreds of families have been left homeless, and 2 people were killed during the torrential rains as the banks of two rivers burst and flooded surrounding villages. Agriculture has also been severely affected, especially vine crops and orange groves.