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Date Published: 04/11/2024

Heavy storm hits Murcia, causing floods and road closures

Residents of Mazarrón were sent text message alerts as the storm swelled local ramblas to dangerous levels

A powerful storm swept through Murcia’s coastal areas on Sunday November 3, prompting road closures and warnings of potential floods.

Despite the intense rainfall and alarming rise in local water levels, the storm passed without serious incidents.

The downpour came just days after the devastating DANA weather event which struck hard in Valencia and Albacete, leaving many in Murcia bracing for the worst.

One of the areas most impacted by the storm was Mazarrón, where rainfall reached up to 80 litres per square metre, flooding streets and submerging roads.

The rapid rise of the Las Moreras rambla – the dry riverbed used as a flood diversion defence – to around 3 metres led authorities to issue an emergency alert to local residents’ mobile phones, including those in Camposol, urging them to stay indoors.

The flooding temporarily forced the closure of eight roads in Mazarrón, including the Vía Axial in Puerto de Mazarrón, which was impassable for hours.

Although no serious injuries were reported, authorities had to pump out water in some areas, and a single car was dragged by floodwaters before the rainfall eventually subsided in the afternoon.

The storm also caused disruptions across other Murcia towns, with flooding and road closures in parts of Águilas, including El Pocico and Calabardina.

In Cartagena, routes between the districts of Pozo Aledo and Los Dolores were impacted, while Lorca saw closures at multiple locations, including sections of the Guadalentín River and nearby ramblas.

Along the Mar Menor, the initial morning rains led to minor flooding and mud washing down from inland areas, resulting in murky water at local beaches, including Lo Pagán, Santiago de la Ribera and Los Alcázares.

Although the rains were not torrential, the Civil Protection teams took pre-emptive measures, monitoring 118 critical points on the Mar Menor coastline for potential flooding risks.

Special attention was paid to the nearby ramblas, which tend to carry water from inland storms down to the coast and in the Mar Menor area can often lead to harmful pesticides and herbicides from farmland being washed into the protected lagoon ecosystem.

Weather radar in Murcia out of service amid alert

Monitoring efforts were slightly impacted by an outage at Murcia’s main meteorological radar in Guadalupe.

According to Juan Esteban Palenzuela, head of the regional branch of the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet), the radar experienced electrical issues, but this did not disrupt surveillance.

The agency used alternate radar systems in Almería and satellite networks to ensure accurate tracking of the storm, they assured.

The radar issues are related to an ongoing upgrade which will eventually introduce a modernised radar with enhanced scanning capabilities, allowing for more detailed precipitation detection in Murcia using dual polarisation.

As the storm waned and warnings were lifted, regional president Fernando López Miras thanked emergency teams and cautioned residents to remain alert as storms continue to pass through southern Spain.

The weather forecast for this week just started in Murcia is for drier conditions, but with the chance of more rain on Thursday and at the weekend.

>>> Follow our Murcia Weather Watch Facebook group for more weather updates or see our Weather & Climate page <<<

Images: Policía Local de Mazarrón

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