The storm of rain, wind, and snow hitting Spain during this Holy Week continues to keep 12 autonomous communities and the cities of Ceuta and Melilla on yellow alert for rain and wind on Saturday. The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) has issued alerts for adverse weather conditions in Andalusia, Aragon, the Balearic Islands, Castile and Leon, Castilla-La Mancha, Catalonia, Extremadura, Galicia, Madrid, Murcia, Valencia, the Canary Islands, and the two autonomous cities. Additionally, 27 roads are affected, with only one belonging to the highway network in Zamora province. The bad weather has led many drivers to cut short their vacation and there is slow traffic on several roads leading into Madrid and neighboring provinces.
The storm Nelson is on its last legs on Saturday, with the highest volume of precipitation reported in the provinces of Cadiz, Malaga, Granada, Caceres, and Avila. Strong winds are blowing in the Strait area with gusts of 80 kilometers per hour, as well as in Almeria, Murcia, Formentera, Ibiza, and Mallorca reaching 70 kilometers per hour. The coastal areas experiencing strong winds are also facing rough seas with waves up to 5 meters high. Emergency services have received a significant number of calls for incidents, particularly in Andalusia with over 500 alerts and Extremadura with 58. Andalucia has experienced road and transport issues due to flooding, overflowing streams, mud, rock and branch falls. Evacuations, road closures, and damage to facilities have occurred across the region.
The government of Castilla-La Mancha has activated the Special Plan for Flood Risk in Ciudad Real province due to possible flooding in the town of Fernan Caballero from the overflowing Bañuelos river. Despite a decrease in water levels, the risk remains due to ongoing precipitation which may affect parts of the town. Four people had to be rescued on Friday after being trapped in a off-road vehicle while crossing the river in Malagon. The Aragon government has also activated the Special Civil Protection Plan for Emergency Flood Risk in Aragon (Procinar) due to expected rises in some of the Ebro River tributaries.
In terms of road conditions, 27 roads are still affected by the storm on Saturday, with only one belonging to the highway network in Zamora province. The General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) has advised caution on secondary roads in Ciudad Real due to flooding. Truck circulation is prohibited in Castilla y Leon and snow chains are mandatory in various locations including Avila, Leon, and Zamora. In Madrid, caution is recommended in Cotos and Cercedilla. The A-395 in Granada is closed due to snow, while caution is advised on snowy roads in Galicia and Navarra. In Cantabria, the CA-643 is closed due to snow in San Roque de Riomiera.
Maximum temperatures will decrease on Sunday across most of the peninsula, particularly in the northeastern interior, while rising in the archipelagos, Andalusia, and Galicia. Minimum temperatures will remain stable, with frost in northern and southeastern mountain areas, especially in the Pyrenees. There will be locally heavy or persistent rain in Andalusia, with strong winds and very strong gusts on the Andalusian Atlantic coast, Mediterranean coast, Balearic Islands, and eastern mountains. Clarifications and reduced precipitation are expected by the end of the day in most areas except for Galicia, the Pyrenees, and the Balearic Islands.
