This is the moment a sudden hail storm blasted parts of the Costa del Sol and inland Malaga on Christmas Eve.
Footage shared online showed how hail fell with such force that it briefly turned streets into torrents flowing towards the sea.
The local stream in Rincón de la Victoria came close to bursting its banks, with videos shared on social media showing water surging from side to side near the church.
The severe weather prompted state weather agency Aemet to activate an orange alert for rainfall of up to 30 litres per square metre in one hour, along with a yellow storm warning across the Axarquía.
Although the alert was initially scheduled to remain in place until 9pm, it was lifted shortly after 6pm as conditions eased.
At the same time, the Andalusian regional government activated its flood emergency plan in pre-emergency phase, triggering increased monitoring and preventive measures.
Emergency number 112 Andalucía confirmed it received multiple calls shortly after 1pm, mainly reporting water entering homes in Rincon de la Victoria.
Several streets briefly became rivers, with water reaching near car door level in some locations.
In Torre de Benagalbón, hail blanketed streets, hillsides and beaches. Despite the dramatic scenes, 112 later confirmed that the storm resulted in around ten minor incidents, with no injuries and no serious material damage reported.
Meteorologists attributed the event to a convective weather structure positioned over the eastern Mediterranean side of Malaga province.
Satellite imagery from Aemet showed a cloud formation similar to a supercell, a phenomenon also highlighted by local weather observers at Meteo Malaga.
Municipal sources confirmed that the Benagalbon stream was temporarily closed due to rising water levels.
One of the towns most affected was Almachar, where mayor Antonio Yuste told Malaga Hoy that sections of walls had collapsed in the Jardines del Forfe, near Avenida Josefa Gámez. He urged residents to remain indoors while checks continued.
Heavy hail was also reported in Rincón de la Victoria and El Borge, where streets, homes and festive decorations were left snow-white. The Rincón council deployed all available services to evaluate potential damage.
In Torre de Benagalbón, local resident Antonio Fernández summed up the shock, saying he had to “rub his eyes” after seeing hail covering the beach.
