Heavy rain triggers severe flooding in Málaga province, Spain
A severe storm unleashed heavy rainfall across Malaga province early Wednesday, November 13, 2024 with intense downpours exceeding 120 mm (4.72 inches) in Malaga city, leading to widespread flooding and river overflows in multiple municipalities.
Submerged streets in Malaga after floods triggered by DANA. Image credit: La Vanguardia
A severe storm struck Malaga province early Wednesday, bringing heavy rain that led to severe flooding.
The storm dumped up to 70 mm (2.76 inches) of rain in just one hour, with a total accumulation of up to 145 mm (5.71 inches) in the Axarquía region and more than 120 mm (4.72 inches) in the city of Malaga.
Several municipalities, including Benamargosa, Colmenar, and Almogía, experienced flooding due to the storm. In the Campanillas neighborhood in Malaga, a river overflowed due to heavy rainfall.
Thousands of people have been evacuated and schools in the entire Malaga have been closed. Many supermarkets are also closed.
Around 3 000 people living in close proximity to the Guadalhorce River have been told to leave their homes.
The interior portions of the Axarquía region and the city of Malaga recorded the heaviest rainfall, with at least five rain gauges in the region showing over 100 mm (3.94 inches) as of 09:00 local time (LT) on Wednesday.
The municipality of Alfarnatejo in the Axarquía region recorded 145.4 mm (5.72 inches) of rainfall in just five hours on Wednesday, with 37 mm (1.46 inches) falling in one hour.
In the Benamargosa region, rainfall accumulation reached up to 134.4 mm (5.29 inches), with 90 mm (3.54 inches) falling in just three hours, leading to an overflow of the Benamargosa River and subsequently an overflow at the mouth of the Vélez River.
The Santón Pitar station in the city of Malaga recorded 145.1 mm (5.71 inches) of rain, with 40 mm (1.57 inches) falling in one hour. The Atabal Waste Water Treatment Plant in the city recorded 125.4 mm (4.93 inches) of rainfall, 67.6 mm (2.66 inches) of which fell within one hour.
The El Consul region in Malaga recorded 141 mm (5.55 inches) of rain, while the port area recorded 114 mm (4.49 inches). In the Guadalhorce Valley, the Coín area recorded 119.4 mm (4.7 inches) of rainfall between 10:00 and 17:00 LT on Wednesday, with 48.8 mm (1.92 inches) falling in just one hour.
A Red Warning was issued for the Guadalhorce Valley, Axarquía, and Costa del Sol regions, including the city of Malaga. The warning remained in effect from 10:00 LT on Wednesday to 00:00 LT on Thursday.
Currently, an Orange Alert is in effect for the Guadalhorce Valley, Costa del Sol, and Axarquía—where the alert level has been raised in the past few hours—while in Antequera and Ronda, a Yellow Alert is in place.
This is the second DANA system to hit Spain within just over two weeks. The previous DANA event at the end of October 2024 led to extreme rainfall in eastern Spain, especially Valencia, where numerous towns and cities faced severe flooding, widespread property damage, and ongoing cleanup efforts. Several areas experienced more than a year’s worth of rain, resulting in deaths of 223 people, with 23 missing. This was one of the deadliest natural disasters in Spain’s history.
The Valencia region has a long history of catastrophic flooding, with records dating back to the 14th century.
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References:
1 El impacto de la DANA en Málaga: hasta 145 litros en la Axarquía y la capital – Malaga Hoy -November 13, 2024
2 DANA en España, en directo: última hora de las alertas extremas por lluvia en Málaga y Valencia – Seiz100 – November 14, 2024
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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