This is the moment troops were filmed leaving their base in Sevilla in preparation for an extremely powerful storm that is expected to cause widespread flooding.
The heavy duty trucks were seen driving out of the military compound in Moron, a municipality in Sevilla province.
The soldiers form part of the Unidad Militar de Emergencias (UME), which is a part of Spain’s armed forces that is trained to help deal with natural disasters or extreme emergency events.
The UME said in a post on X: ‘Units from the Second Intervention Battalion of the UME departed from their base in Moron, Sevilla to collaborate with the 112 emergency services in containing mining ponds and in water and land rescues in various points across Andalucia.’
Emergency alerts were sent to thousands of mobile phones on Tuesday night warning of extreme incoming weather.
The so-called ES-Alert message was pinged to people in 47 municipalities, mostly where a red weather alert is set to come into force.
The Serrania de Ronda and Grazalema region of Cadiz are both on the most serious of warnings from state weather agency Aemet between midnight on Tuesday night and until at least 11.59pm on Wednesday.
Regional president Juanma Moreno has warned Andalucia of ‘exceptional’ weather on Wednesday as an atmospheric river prepares drop a water bomb across the region.
Speaking at an urgent press conference on Tuesday, he said the emergency level has been raised to two.
‘This means we will incorporate support from other bodies, local police, national police, etc’ he said.
He added that troops from Spain’s Unidad Militar de Emergencias will be on standby to help if required.
The Partido Popular leader said that the precautionary measure is to avoid victims of a potential disaster or serious incident having to wait ‘four or five hours’ for troops to arrive.
Moreno added: ‘At 8pm tonight, an ES-alert message will be sent to people in zones where the rainfall will be very elevated.
‘Where does this mean? All those areas under a red alert, all of Grazalema, and the Campo de Gibraltar, Ronda in Malaga province and Los Puentes in Jaen.’
In a plea to residents, Moreno said: ‘We ask that you restrict travel on Wednesday… this means that any journey that is not absolutely necessary, don’t make it.’
He recalled that there have been multiple deaths during storms over the past couple of months, which he said were ‘completely avoidable’.
He added: ‘Please, we ask for MAXIMUM PRUDENCE from all Andalucians, wherever they may live.
‘Great care with riverbeds and streams and flood-prone areas. Let’s avoid any risk and ensure no one crosses a body of water.’
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Ey
