Latest reports suggest that over 48 people have been evacuated after storm Martinho brought heavy rains In the municipality of Mejorada del Campo near Madrid.
Spain continues to be hit by rainstorms, with the latest one, called Martinho, causing some cities to declare a state of emergency and evacuate their inhabitants. Dozens of roads have been closed, and rivers have been seen overflowing in large areas of central and northern Spain.
In the city of Ávila in central Spain, a state of emergency was declared due to flooding after the Adaja and Chico rivers overflowed. In Madrid, several roads have been closed as the alert remains in place due to the flooding of the Manzanares River. Meanwhile, the municipality of Mejorada del Campo had to evacuate 48 people due to the flooding of the Jarama and Henares rivers.
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Meanwhile, in the southern Andalusia region, police are still searching for a motorcyclist who disappeared four days ago.
Footage from the Guardia Civil police force showed officers wading through a river near the town of Pujerra in search of the missing man.
Spain has faced a severe drought in recent years, however in the past two weeks steady rainfall, especially in the south has overwhelmed reservoirs and riverbanks. In Madrid, officials are releasing water from the El Pardo reservoir to prevent flooding.
In Toledo, emergency crews have set up flood barriers around a hospital for paraplegic patients as the Tagus River continues to rise. Authorities say they are ready to evacuate residents if needed.
Scientists and officials link these swings between drought and heavy rain to climate change, which is also making Spain’s summers hotter.
Story was adapted from euronews.
