Menorca tornado
The freak weather system also saw Menorca battered by a tornado
The week-long spell of rain, snow and unseasonably low temperatures has been blamed a mass of polar air lingering over the Iberian Peninsula

More than 50 trees and hundreds of power lines were pulled down by the powerful storm, leaving thousands of residents without electricity.

Neighbouring principality Asturias' 25,000 properties also had their power knocked out by the tornado.

A week-long spell of rain, snow and unseasonably low temperatures has been blamed on the arrival of a mass of polar air lingering over the Iberian Peninsula.

At least one person remains missing in the town of Camariñas in Galicia, northwestern Spain, with reports the man may have fallen into the sea while fishing.

The bad weather has returned to the Balearics just weeks after the region was hit with flooding, in which 13 people were killed.

Spanish Emergency Services personnel help clearing snow off a road in Degana, Asturias
© EPASpanish Emergency Services personnel help clearing snow off a road in Degana, Asturias
Heavy snowfall across the north of the country has led to traffic chaos on Spain's train networks and roads.

There are currently weather warnings in place across 29 provinces, as well as the North African exclave city of Melilla.

The highest alerts are for the provinces of Burgos, Castellón and Tarragona.

Freezing temperatures are expected to last until at least Wednesday.

The freak weather system over Western Europe has also caused chaos in parts of Italy.


It has now been reported that a student was killed by a falling tree in Naples earlier today as violent storms swept across the country.

His death comes just hours after a man was found dead by firefighters near the port of Catanzaro on Calabria's southern coast after a boat was dragged ashore by strong currents.

Several Italian regions remain on high alert as the severe weather conditions show no signs of easing off.

The Civil Protection Department issued a red alert - the maximum level - this morning for the regions of Abruzzo, Liguria, Lombardy, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia-Giulia and Trentino Alto Adige.

Strong winds, hail and thunderstorms are expected today and tomorrow in these regions, with particularly heavy rain and a risk of landslides in Alpine areas.

Numerous roads and motorways in these regions are closed or experiencing delays and heavy traffic, mainly due to localised flooding or fallen trees.

Authorities have also warned that heavy rainfall and high winds are expected in many other parts of the country with orange alerts for Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Marche, Umbria, Lazio, Calabria, Sicily, and parts of Molise, Campania, and Puglia.

Italian firefighters reported a busy Sunday night with 180 weather-related incidents recorded in Tuscany alone between midnight and 7am.

Europe's current weather chaos has been blamed on a 'European snow cloud' that is now set to leave Britain shivering over the coming week.

The very deep area of low pressure currently forming across the Mediterranean, and named by the French as 'Adrian', is set to dump excessive amounts of snow across parts of Europe over the coming days.

According to Met Office meteorologist Steven Keates, very cold air from the last weekend has moved south from the UK towards Iberia in the last 24 hours.

This will now push northward towards Germany, Italy and Switzerland, becoming entwined with bands of rain and cold air that will dump heavy snow over the Alps.

The knock-on effect of this will be felt by southern England, where conditions will turn very wet and windy over the coming days.

East Anglia and Kent is set to bear the brunt of the bad weather, with strong winds making already plunging temperatures feel bitterly cold.

News of the European snow cloud comes as the UK also prepares to be battered by Hurricane Oscar.

The cold snap is set to develop into a "messy picture" in a few days' time, as the 15th storm of the Atlantic hurricane season threatens to bring unsettled weather to British shores.

Though it won't make landfall, Oscar's effects are set to be felt across the UK towards the end of this week.