Rain Storms Cause Havoc in Spain

There was traffic chaos in Madrid yesterday morning from about 10 am onwards due to intense, persistent rain. According to information from the DGT (el Departamento General de Tráfico) there were more than 150 kilometres of traffic jams on roads leading into the capital and on the major ring roads around the city.

The worst traffic jam was on the M-40 towards the A-1 where there was a 12 kilometre stretch where traffic was practically stationary. There were other hold ups too on the A-6 and A-3, this time caused by an accident. Another accident also occurred on the M-50 affecting a 12 kilometre stretch of the motorway going towards the A-1. There was a 5 kilometre traffic jam in Boadilla going towards the A-6 and 4 kilometres of jams in Getafe heading towards the A-5.

There was also slow traffic for 5 kilometres on the M-45 going towards the A-1 and the A-2 experienced 11 kilometres of jams in the direction of Madrid and 4 kilometres of hold ups in the direction of Barcelona.

Meanwhile the severe weather experienced in the province of Sevilla yesterday resulted in two deaths in Alcalá de Guadaira. There was an extremely heavy downpour including hail (which reached up to 50 centimetres high in some places) and winds of 100 kilometres per hour. Some areas received 60 litres of rain per square metre.
The youngest victim was crushed by cars which were being washed along the street and the eldest victim died of a heart attack when water entered her home. Ten other people were injured, one of them seriously.

The local town hall has called for two days of mourning and has asked for the area to be declared a catastrophe. In addition the town hall has set up a help centre for those affected by the severe weather and has asked for assistance from the Regional Andalucian Government.

The unsettled weather is expected to continue today in Southern and Eastern areas of Spain and heavy rains and storms are forecast in Castilla La Mancha, Murcia, Valencia and Andalucía.

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