The storm Filomena has covered large areas of Spain with snow and a large part of the country is on a red alert awaiting more precipitation this Saturday.
The State Meteorological Agency AEMET said that the storm was “exceptional and most likely historical”, and the Spanish Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, said that the country faces the “most intense storm in the Latest 76 years. ”
Up to now, 4 deaths have been reported as a result of the passage of Filomena.
The Comunidad de Madrid, one of the most affected regions, expects to receive more than 24 inches of snow in the next 24 hours and intense snowfall in Madrid capital the last few days has caused various problems.
Transportation to and from the capital of Spain has seen paralyzed. The city’s airport is closed, as are a number of highways. and the railway company, Renfe, has suspended all trains with origin and destination in Madrid. Bus and commuter train services in the city have also been suspended.
The mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, called for the help of the Army. “The situation is very serious, the city is blocked,” he said.
Already on Friday night, several vehicles were stranded on a highway near the capital. Firefighters and the Military Emergency Unit of the Spanish Army were mobilized to rescue the trapped drivers and clear the blocked roads.
The Spanish authorities have asked the population to avoid non-essential travel and the provinces of Valencia, Castellón, Tarragona, Teruel and Zaragoza remain on a red alert. In various parts of the country there are still blocked roads.
The president of the government, Pedro Sánchez, called for caution in the face of the unusual meteorological phenomenon.
I want to reiterate the Government’s call for maximum caution in the face of the evolution of the weather in the next few hours. Let us comply with all the recommendations made by the State Security Forces, Army, Civil Protection and emergency services.
– Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) January 9, 2021
The four fatalities that have been reported so far were found in Zarzalejo, northwest of Madrid, where a frozen corpse appeared.
In Calatayud, Aragon, another person appeared with signs of having died of cold. In southern Spain, the storm has caused some rivers to run out of their channel and two people died in the city of Malaga after the car in which they were traveling was swept away by a stream of water.
Despite everything, in the streets of Madrid, which had not experienced such a snowfall for decades, groups of people have been seen who have decided to enjoy the unusual and idyllic winter scene walking or playing with the snow in emblematic areas of the city, such as Puerta del Sol or Plaza de Callao.
The great parks of Madrid have been closed as a precaution, as reported by the news agency AFP .
A man was photographed skiing down Gran Vía, the famous street in the capital that it is usually full of tourists and consumers.
In Cañada Real, the largest slum in Western Europe, residents lit bonfires to keep warm.
Cold weather will continue beyond the weekend and cold weather is forecast to temperatures in Madrid will drop to – 12 ° Celsius on Thursday.
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