A red alert has been issued for the Costa del Sol amid ongoing storms, flooding and torrential rain.
The warning was sent to thousands of mobile phones in the region at around 9.15pm.
The alert from the Proteccion Civil read: ‘Given the current situation: exercise extreme caution and avoid unnecessary travel.
‘Do not cross flood-prone areas and obey road closures.
‘Do not carry out activities in riverbeds or nearby areas. If you are in a flood-risk zone, seek higher ground or move to an upper floor.’
It advised anyone in an emergency situation to call the 112 hotline.
According to state weather agency Aemet, the red warning will remain in place on the Costa del Sol and Guadalhorce Valley until 4am on Sunday.
Forecasters are predicting 120mm of accumulated rainfall over a 12-hour period.
Aemet added that the most intense downpours will be expected in the area of the Sierra de las Nieves.
It comes after the weather service had already upgraded the alert from yellow to orange earlier on Saturday.
However, when videos of flooding in Marbella – plus accidents on the hail-covered Ronda road – began emerging online, many questioned whether a red alert was required.
The red warning was eventually issued shortly before 9.20pm, with a pulsating, high-pitched alarm and an accompanying message being sent to mobile phones in the region.
‘It scared me and my cats to death,’ one San Pedro resident told the Spanish Eye, ‘I thought nuclear missiles were on the way.’
Footage shared online showed multiple streets in Marbella underwater, while manholes were seen gushing with water.
Multiple trees were also toppled in the town due to the extreme conditions.
Other images show how the A-397 that connects San Pedro de Alcantara (Marbella) with Ronda was covered in hail.
The white stuff had been falling on the route for much of Saturday afternoon.
The Storm_Malaga page on X said: ‘The storms have not kept us waiting and are unleashing with intensity in points of the western area of Malaga.
‘Spectacular hailstorm on the road from Ronda to SanPedro just minutes ago. In some points, it has already exceeded 40mm.’
Elsewhere the Directorate General de Trafico (DGT) warned that large puddles of water were forming on the AP-7 motorway in Cancelada (Marbella).
Travellers are urged to check the status of their routes before setting off.
