lightning
Spring has definitely not sprung in Spain's Costa Blanca with unsettled weather bringing rain, strong winds and freezing temperatures for weeks now. On top of horror stories of flooding, electricity and internet blackouts and fallen trees, Murcia has suffered a terrible tragedy after a farm worker died during a storm this week.

Sadly, the raging storm claimed the life of a 45-year-old in the municipality of Fuente Alamo, who was reportedly picking spinach in the rural area of Balsapintada when he was struck dead by a bolt of lightning.

Aemet, Spain's State Meteorological Agency, forecast heavy rains and storms a few days ago and issued weather warnings for no less than twelve areas of Spain.

Storm Lola hit land on Friday, April 23 from the Atlantic, and the provinces most affected over the coming weekend are likely to be Almeria, Albacete, Cuenca, Murcia, Alicante, and Valencia. Warnings have been activated for both rain and storms, while in Castellón the warning for rains has been decreed and in Granada and Jaén for storms.

The deceased farmer was working in the area of Murcia where the worst of the rain fell in the lead-up to the raging storm on Thursday when he was killed by the lightning strike, according to Spanish daily Murcia Today; some 20 millimetres of rain fell, according to Aemet. Emergency services rushed to the scene at 1:46pm but sadly, the man was pronounced dead once paramedics arrived.

Unfortunately, most of the country is in for a few more days of bad weather. Belts of low pressure will bring prolonged rain to most of Spain until next Monday, with many regions having already suffered unseasonable hail storms and snow.