PROVINCIA DE SORIA – Spain is dealing with the consequences of winter storm Juan. This has caused heavy snowfall in the regions of Castilla y León and Aragón as well as flooding in Extremadura.
In Soria, on the N-122 road between the towns of Matalebreras and Ontalvilla de Valcorba, approximately 600 people in approximately 500 vehicles became snowbound. Thanks to the deployment of the UME military emergency unit, these vehicles were freed around 11.00 pm on Friday. Soria province experienced extreme cold, with temperatures dropping to -14 degrees at night.
Traffic chaos and stranded trains
The snowfall caused traffic problems in several regions, including Castilla y León and Aragón. In Zaragoza, the snow even caused traffic chaos and the postponement of a football match. A train was also stranded in Grisén due to the snow. Authorities in Aragon reported problems on several highways, including the A-2, A-23, and AP-68, with some road closures.
Problems with freight traffic
The extreme weather also led to trucks being backed up on several motorways. This happened, among others, on the A-1 near Villarejo in Segovia, and on the A-2 in Salinas de Medinaceli and Somaén in Soria. In Salamanca, trucks on the A-66 were forced to stop due to bad weather.
Floods in Extremadura
In addition to the snowfall, Storm Juan has also caused heavy rainfall in Extremadura. This led to flooding of around twenty roads, including the A-5 near Mérida, and several urban and rural areas. Eight dams also had to release water after reaching their capacity limits.
Also read: Heavy rain, wind and remarkable temperature fluctuations in Spain
