Andalucia has activated the pre-emergency phase of its flood plan as Storm Bruna threatens to bring flash flooding and sudden rises in rivers and streams.
Regional emergencies chief Antonio Sanz activated the plan to coordinate monitoring and information sharing between emergency services and civil protection authorities.
The move came ahead of orange rain warnings for parts of Huelva and Sevilla, where some areas could see 80mm in 12 hours.
In Huelva, the first orange warnings run from midnight to noon on Monday. Aemet says 30mm could fall in a single hour in Aracena, Andevalo and Condado, and along the Huelva coast.
Aracena and Sevilla’s Sierra Norte face a separate orange warning from 3am until the end of Monday, with 80mm possible in 12 hours.
In Sevilla city and the surrounding Campiña, a yellow warning for thunderstorms and up to 15mm of rain in an hour runs from midnight to noon.
The storm was expected to make itself felt on Sunday evening. The Huelva coast’s yellow wind warning began at 8pm, with gusts of up to 70km/hr forecast until 4am on Monday.
Yellow rain and thunderstorm warnings followed at 9pm across the affected areas of Huelva and northern Sevilla.
On Monday, yellow warnings for rain and thunderstorms cover the Cadiz coast, the province’s lowland countryside and the Strait of Gibraltar area until 4pm, with up to 15mm possible in an hour.
Grazalema in Cadiz and Ronda in inland Malaga are under yellow warnings until the same time for 60mm in 12 hours.
Some parts of western Andalucia could receive between 100mm and 200mm over the course of the storm. Tuesday’s forecast includes gusts of 70 to 90km/hr in parts of western Andalucia and around the Strait, with waves approaching four metres along the western Andalucian coast.
Andalucia’s emergency service has urged people in affected areas to avoid unnecessary journeys and check road conditions before setting out if they have to drive.
It says people should never cross flooded areas on foot or in a vehicle, and should avoid parking or camping beside rivers, streams and dry riverbeds that can fill suddenly.
If water starts entering a home, the service advises moving upstairs and staying away from basements and garages. The emergency number is 112.
