Storm Claudia: Aemet extends yellow ‘risk’ warning for heavy rain on Costa del Sol and across most of Malaga province to Saturday

Persistent and heavy rainfall is accompanying the front linked to storm Claudia in Spain at the tail end of this week. The Friday, the forecast from the state weather agency (Aemet) predicts rain in the Central System, western Galicia, western Andalucía and the Pyrenees. Thunderstorms can also be expected in the Andalucía region and, occasionally, in the north-east of mainland Spain.

As a result, Aemet has extended the yellow warning for heavy rainfall in Malaga province from the entire day on Friday to Saturday. Only the Antequera area will be exempt from the alert on the first day of the weekend.

Accumulations of 20mm are expected in an hour and up to 60mm in 12 hours. The Costa del Sol, which includes Malaga city, the Guadalhorce valley and the Axarquia area will be hit by the parts of the province most affected by the yellow “risk” warning. As the forecast indicates, there will be overcast skies with “moderate rainfall and thunderstorms, which may be locally heavy and persistent”.

Temperatures are expected to fall, although no changes are expected in minimum temperatures. Moderate westerly winds are also expected along the coast, with light to moderate southerly winds in the rest of the province.

Aemet expects rainfall and storms that may be locally heavy and persistent in the western half of Andalucía, less likely on the Mediterranean coast. Maximum temperatures in the eastern interior are forecast to drop notably. Moderate westerly and moderate southerly winds are expected along the Mediterranean coast and in the rest of the region, respectively. The whole region except Jaén will be under a warning on Friday.

Rain in mainland Spain

According to Aemet, storm Claudia is expected to remain almost stationary, with fronts that will affect mainland Spain and bring cloudy or overcast skies, with rainfall in most of the territory on Friday. However, rain is less likely in the extreme east and south-east. The heaviest accumulations are expected in the west of Galicia and Andalucía as well as in the Pyrenees, south of the Cantabrian mountain range and especially in the Central System. Occasional thunderstorms are also expected in the extreme west and north-east of the Spanish mainland, with downpours that could also be heavy in western Andalucía.

Finally, temperatures, mostly maximum values, are expected to drop in most of the country on Friday. More notable decreases will be experienced “in the Pyrenees and areas of Andalucía and Castilla-La Mancha, with local increases in the Ebro and the east, also extending to the Balearic Islands in terms of minimum temperatures”.