A ‘water tornado’ has been spotted off the coast of Huelva as Storm Charles passes through Andalucia.
The column of air, known as a waterspout, was pictured from Isla Cristina on Wednesday afternoon.
It came after an emergency weather alert was sent to mobile phones across 30 municipalities in Andalucia.
The warning arrived to thousands of people based on the coasts of Huelva and Cadiz and around the Strait of Gibraltar, warning of 120km/hr winds.
The Junta de Andalucia activated the ES-Alert system for areas under orange warnings for strong winds and rain.
Regional minister Antonio Sanz urged people to exercise extreme caution, avoid unnecessary journeys and stay away from beaches, seafront promenades and breakwaters.
He also warned against crossing flooded streets, dips in roads or watercourses, whether on foot or in a vehicle, and called on residents to follow instructions from 112 Andalucia.
It comes after the Costa del Sol was upgraded to an orange warning for heavy rain on Wednesday.
In an update on Tuesday afternoon, state weather agency Aemet placed almost all of mainland Spain under some form of weather warning, including the whole of Andalucia.
Meteorologists warned that 80mm of rain could fall in 12 hours in its Costa del Sol and Guadalhorce zone, up from 60mm in the earlier yellow warning.
The orange alert runs from noon until 11.59pm. A separate yellow wind warning starts at 3pm, with southwesterly gusts of up to 70km/hr.
The Civil Protection agency says Storm Charles and the weather fronts associated with Storm Bruna are bringing a spell of heavy and persistent rain, strong winds and rough seas.
Aemet’s updated map shows warnings across most of the mainland, with a red alert in part of western Spain.
Where else in Andalucia are warnings in force?
In Malaga province, Antequera has been upgraded to an orange wind warning for gusts of up to 90km/hr from 3pm.
The Axarquia remains on yellow for rain from noon, with 60mm possible in 12 hours, and for gusts of up to 70km/hr from 3pm.
The Sevilla and Cadiz countryside face orange wind warnings from noon for gusts of up to 90km/hr.
The same gust speeds are forecast in Cordoba’s Subbetica, Granada’s Genil basin and Jaen’s Guadalquivir valley from 3pm, and in Cazorla and Segura from 6pm.
Granada’s Nevada and Alpujarras zone faces both an orange rain warning from noon, with 80mm possible in 12 hours, and an orange wind warning from 3pm for gusts of up to 100km/hr.
The Granada coast is on yellow for rain from noon and for gusts of up to 70km/hr from 3pm.
In Almeria, a yellow warning for 70km/hr gusts begins at 6pm in the Almanzora valley and Los Vélez.
The warnings above are scheduled to run until 11.59pm on Wednesday.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
