Lorraine Williamson
Yesterday’s chaos has given way to calm. After a day of torrential downpours, thunder, and flash floods that paralysed large parts of western Andalucia, the skies cleared this morning. The contrast could not have been starker! Blue skies stretched across Seville, Huelva, and Malaga, where just 24 hours earlier, streets had turned to rivers.
Residents emerged today blinking into the sunshine, sweeping debris from doorways and surveying the aftermath of one of the region’s most intense rainfalls in recent years. Yet officials warned against complacency. Pockets of flooding remain, especially in low-lying and rural areas where water levels are still dangerously high.
A day of chaos across the region
The storm that struck on Wednesday left a trail of destruction in its wake. In the space of a few hours, emergency services across Andalucia were overwhelmed with calls. There were 1,346 incidents in total, most of them in Seville and Huelva. Streets disappeared beneath torrents of rainwater, walls collapsed, and power lines failed.
During the peak of the flooding, the Policía Nacional reported carrying out dozens of emergency rescues across Seville. In a message shared on X (formerly Twitter), the force wrote: “Ayer no hubo descanso para nuestros agentes en Sevilla que, durante las inundaciones que sufrió la ciudad, llevaron a cabo multitud de servicios humanitarios… Bebés atrapados en una guardería, personas con movilidad reducida en peligro…”. This translates as: “Yesterday there was no rest for our officers in Seville who, during the city’s floods, carried out numerous humanitarian operations — babies trapped in a nursery, people with reduced mobility in danger.”
Officers worked through the night, wading through waist-deep water to reach stranded residents, rescue infants from a flooded daycare, and assist elderly or disabled people unable to evacuate. Their bravery was widely praised on social media. It highlighted the tireless efforts of emergency teams who continued working long after the rain had stopped.
Two people were injured in separate incidents. One was in Gibraleón, where a metal frame collapsed, and another in Torrepalma, Carmona, where a wall gave way. Both are now recovering.
By late evening, entire neighbourhoods were under water. In Seville, industrial estates flooded, traffic lights failed, and even parts of Hospital Virgen Macarena suffered leaks that forced staff to activate emergency protocols.
Flooded streets and unusual scenes
In Seville, rainfall reached almost 100 litres per square metre. Moreover, that´s the kind of deluge that can transform city streets into canals. One resident, taking the situation in stride, was spotted paddling through a flooded avenue on a surfboard — a surreal image that quickly spread across social media.
Meanwhile, La Rinconada, north of the city, saw a tributary of the Guadalquivir burst its banks, cutting off access to the Sevilla Fashion Outlet shopping area. Metro services between Amate and Primero de Mayo were suspended. And in Carmona, care home residents were moved upstairs as water seeped in.
Huelva hit hardest
Huelva endured some of the worst damage. Schools were evacuated, roofs collapsed, and a psychiatric unit in Valverde del Camino was cleared as a precaution. On the railway between Niebla and San Juan del Puerto, a train with 36 passengers was stranded when an overhead line snapped under the pressure of high winds.
At the height of the storm, Spain’s ES-Alert system, sent text messages to residents in the most affected zones. The warning urged people to stay indoors, avoid travelling, and keep clear of rivers and underpasses.
Malaga’s turn in the rain
Though less severe, Malaga’s coastal towns also faced disruption. In Torremolinos’ La Carihuela district, a manhole gave way, flooding several streets. Locals reported recurring issues during heavy rain, with many urging the council to invest in better drainage before winter sets in.
From orange to yellow warnings
The national weather agency AEMET confirmed that rainfall totals in Fuentes de Andalucía topped 108 litres per square metre, among the highest in Spain. The Junta de Andalucía’s regional flood plan was activated as a precaution, with 54 municipalities placed on alert.
By Thursday morning, orange warnings were lifted, but yellow alerts remained in place for Seville, Córdoba, Cádiz, Málaga, and Granada. Winds of 70 km/h were still possible, and emergency services continued to monitor swollen rivers, including the Tamarguillo and Guadiamar.
Sunshine returns, but caution remains
Today, Andalucia awoke to sunshine, a gentle breeze, and the hum of restoration. Yet beneath the blue skies lie reminders of nature’s unpredictability — mud-streaked pavements, twisted signs, and the lingering smell of damp earth.
Authorities have reminded residents to stay vigilant, avoid flooded roads and underpasses, and report any new damage to local councils. Meteorologists say conditions should remain stable over the weekend, offering a much-needed respite after days of turmoil.
As Andalucia dries out and life resumes, yesterday’s storm serves as a stark reminder of the growing volatility of weather in southern Spain — and how quickly paradise can turn into peril.
Sources: Diario de Sevilla, La Opinion de Malaga, 20 Minutos