Three killed by floods and landslides in Andalusia, Spain

At least three people have been killed by severe floods and landslides in Spain between December 28–29, 2025.

Severe storms brought heavy rainfall and strong winds across Andalusia, triggering flash floods and landslides, and causing widespread damage over the weekend.

The Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET) put much of the region under orange and yellow weather alerts as the system stalled over the Mediterranean-facing provinces.

Parts of Málagat and Granada provinces recorded more than 100 mm (3.9 inches) of rainfall in less than 24 hours between December 28 and 29.

Multiple small rivers and streams rose rapidly, leading to multiple rescue operations and localized evacuations as the flood spread across the region.

The regional emergency coordination center in Andalusia confirmed three fatalities as of December 29. Two people were found dead in a vehicle swept away by floodwaters in the municipality of Álora, Málaga Province. In Granada Province, an 18-year-old man died after being caught in a flooded area near the town of Íllora.

Helicopters had to be used in some areas to conduct rescue operations as flood and debris closed of ground routes.

Three waterspout tornadoes were also seen over the coast of Mazarrón in Murcia as the storms moved across the region.

Authorities activated Level 1 of the regional flood emergency plan and deployed additional Civil Protection, Guardia Civil, and firefighting units to affected areas.

Over 400 incidents were reported regionwide, and were mostly related to stranded vehicles, flooded homes, and road blockages.

Power outages and damage were also reported across low-lying areas along the Guadalhorce and Genil river basins.

The rainfall was triggered by a frontal system associated to a deep Atlantic trough interacting with warm, moisture-rich air over the western Mediterranean. The combination of strong upper-level divergence and orographic lifting along the Betic ranges enhanced precipitation efficiency, producing locally extreme totals despite moderate synoptic-scale instability.

Rainfall decreased by December 30 allowing most alerts to be lifted. Emergency services continued drainage and repair operations in flooded communities.

References:

¹ Three dead as heavy rain prompts emergency response in Spain’s Andalusia – Euronews – December 29, 2025

² Three dead due to flooding in southern Spain – Blue News – December 29, 2025

Feature image credit: Guardiacivil

Rishav Kothari

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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