Madrid's heaviest snowfall in 50 years, red warnings also issued for Italy & Croatia as even more snow is forecast

France 24
Sat, 09 Jan 2021 13:25 UTC

© GETTY IMAGES

The capital Madrid has seen the heaviest snowfall in decades

Four people died in Spain as Storm Filomena caused travel chaos across the country, blanketing Madrid in the heaviest snowfall in decades and forcing authorities to mobilise troops to rescue trapped motorists.

Rescue services reached 1,500 people trapped in cars, while skiers glided down Gran Via, normally one of the busiest streets in the capital. Other Madrid residents used the freak blizzard to snowboard down the road or pelt each other with snowballs.

A man and woman who were traveling in a car drowned after a river burst its banks near Malaga, southern Spain, and two homeless people froze to death, one in Madrid and the other in the eastern city of Calatayud, authorities said.

Responding to the events, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia tweeted: "The royal family would like to express their sorrow for victims of the storm ... and ask for extreme caution against the risks of accumulation of ice and snow."

Interior minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska urged Spaniards to avoid all but essential travel. "We are facing the most intense storm in the last 50 years," he said.

More than 650 roads were blocked by snow, said Grande-Marlaska, leaving some drivers stuck in their cars from Friday night until Saturday.

Patricia Manzanares, trapped in her car on the M-40 motorway in Madrid since 7 p.m. on Friday, told RTVE television: "I have been stuck here without water or any other help".

Aena, which controls the country's airports, said Madrid's Barajas airport, which was closed on Friday night, would remain shut for the rest of Saturday. It said at least 50 flights to Madrid, Malaga, Tenerife and Ceuta, a Spanish territory in North Africa, were canceled.

The State Meteorological Agency said it was the heaviest snowfall in Madrid since 1971, while José Miguel Viñas, a meteorologist from Spanish National Radio, said that between 25 cm and 50 cm (10-20 inches) had fallen in the capital, which he said made it the largest snowfall since 1963.

Atletico Madrid's game against Athletic Bilbao, scheduled to kick off at 1515 GMT on Saturday, was postponed, La Liga said in a statement.

Reuters

Comment: Express reports:

There will be an 80 percent chance of snow across most non-coastal locations.

© AEMET

Storm Filomena: Red warnings, which mean extreme risk, are in place across Aragon, Castilla-La Mancha, Cataluna, Commundidad de Madrid and Communitat Valencia

Red warnings, which mean extreme risk, are in place across Aragon, Castilla-La Mancha, Cataluna, Comunidad de Madrid and Communitat Valencia today.

The warnings caution there is a 40 to 70 percent chance of snowstorms up to 20cm (7.8 inches).

Orange warnings for snow are in place across Cantabria, Castilla y Leon, Extremadura, Cimmunidad Foral de Navarra, Pais Vasco and La Rioja.

These warnings are classed as 'important risk' and caution up to 30 centimetres of snow could fall in 24 hours.

Madrid Mayor José Luis Martínez Almeida said the city is prepared for the 20 centimeters of snow which have been forecast, but admitted it will create "great difficulties."

Municipal workers have spread more than 350,000 kilograms of salt and 75,000 litres of salt brine on roads to prevent them from icing over.

Pictures show snow-laden roads blocked with cars and some residents even resorted to travelling using skis.

Firefighters helped to free those trapped in cars on Friday as temperatures plummeted to -12C.

© WXCHARTS

Storm Filomena: Another 20 to 30cm of snow is forecast to fall today

Snow has already blanketed parts of northern Italy this week, but yet more could be on the way from Storm Filomena.

Ms Willets said: "It is going to spread to Italy and Balkans, with very significant snow to come for the Balkans.

"Madrid will face 20cm of more snow today. It is almost unheard of weather."

Troops from the Unit for Military Emergencies have helped to clear roads and infrastructure across the country, the defence ministry said.

Castilla-La Mancha, one of the three regions put on high alert along with Madrid and eastern Valencia, closed schools.

Storm Filomena was named by Spanish Weather Service, AEMet and is made up of two areas of low pressure which are following each other across southwestern Europe.

AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys explained this storm is so unusual as it is a combination of different weather features not seen since Storm Emma and the Beast from the East in 2018.

Mr Roys said: "A southerly storm track due to high pressure in the east-central Atlantic, the stalled [storm system] over central Europe and cold air that has funnelled in from Scandinavia and northern Russia are the features creating this uncommon setup."

"With little to no break in precipitation, the second area of low pressure will rush over the Iberian Peninsula from Friday through Saturday night, causing precipitation to continue across southern and central areas, as well as expand into the Ebro River Valley and finally into the Northern Meseta by Friday night."

The ice age cometh? A few days ago Spain recorded its lowest temperature ever at -34C.