Spanish State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) has activated widespread weather warnings, including yellow and orange alerts, across the entire southern coast of Spain as Storm Bram begins to make its impact on the Iberian Peninsula.
The storm is bringing in major weather hazards, including a DANA (Isolated Depression at High Atmospheric Levels), heavy rain, and dangerous coastal conditions, particularly affecting the popular Costa del Sol and the rest of the Andalusian coast.
Andalusia braces for coastal and rainfall hazards
AEMET has issued varying levels of alert for Friday, December 12, across the provinces of Malaga, Cadiz, Almería, Huelva, and Granada. The primary concerns are extreme coastal phenomena and heavy precipitation.
The southern coastal strip of Andalusia is marked by a yellow alert, stretching from west to east across all maritime zones. However, the situation is particularly critical in Cadiz, where an orange alert has been issued due to more adverse sea conditions expected to intensify after 8pm.
AEMET strongly advises the public to implement extreme safety measures for any activities near the coast and to remain vigilant for official updates, as the warnings may be adjusted throughout the day.
Malaga expects DANA and intense downpours
The region most intensely affected is Malaga, where the influence of Storm Bram will manifest as a DANA, a phenomenon that generates “intense precipitation,” according to Jesús Riesco, director of the Meteorological Centre. Consequently, yellow alerts have been activated for the Costa del Sol and the Guadalhorce Valley for both Friday and Saturday.
The yellow alert in Malaga is set to run for almost the entire day on Friday, from 12pm to midnight. During this 12-hour period, AEMET forecasts an accumulated rainfall of up to 40 litres per square metre. These heavy downpours will be accompanied by strong wind gusts reaching up to 60 km/h and wave heights of two to three metres.
Costa del Sol and Guadalhorce will continue withe the alert into Saturday morning, running from midnight until 6am, with the forecast still expecting up to 40 litres per square metre of precipitation within a 12-hour window. Although the official alerts may be deactivated, heavy rainfall is not expected to cease immediately; AEMET predicts a 100 per cent probability of rain, transitioning to weaker showers, from Sunday through until Tuesday.