A usually sunny expat town located just half an hour from the Costa del Sol is being pummeled by the size of balls.
Alhaurín el Grande, a charming town, has been hidden beneath a thick white blanket after rain initially transformed the hilly streets into rushing torrents. The heavy downpour wreaked havoc, turning serene streets into impromptu rivers. Earlier this week, weather officials confirmed that the rain gauge at Malaga Airport recorded this March as the second wettest since records began in 1943.
Yesterday, a yellow weather alert for the province gave way to conditions that seemed more fitting for the Arctic than the typically warm Mediterranean climate. In Alhaurín, just 25 minutes north of La Cala de Mijas, nestled between Marbella and Fuengirola, the streets emptied as locals sought shelter, and motorists were forced to stop, waiting out the fierce storm that began around 4 pm.
Cafe terraces, which at this time of year would normally buzz with locals and tourists savoring a post-lunch coffee, were eerily empty, with rain and hail quickly covering tables and chairs. Meanwhile, the road by the town’s Santa Vera Cruz Chapel, transformed into a raging river, resembled a fast-moving water slide.
READ MORE:
A local resident commenting on a video showing the surreal scenes five days into spring after three weeks of almost continuous rain in most of southern Spain said: “At 2pm I was sitting in the square that comes up at the end of this footage, having a coffee in 73 degree heat.
British expat Pat Saunders, who appeared to have been trapped in a bar, joked: “We all had to have an extra drink.” Irish national Mary Quinn wrote online: “OMG. Look at the size of those hailstones.” Stunned Eladia Martin Medina, who lives in Cartama just a 10-minute drive away, said: “When was this? There hasn’t been anything where I am.”
READ MORE:
READ MORE:
The good news is that weather chiefs are now predicting wall-to-wall sunshine and blue skies for the rest of the week in the area, with temperatures in resorts like Marbella set to reach the low seventies. Holidaymakers in Benidorm on the Costa Blanca can also look forward to a weekend of good weather, with top temperatures expected to rise slightly to just below 70 degrees Fahrenheit by Saturday.
British tourist John Wells, enjoying a pre-lunch stroll along Marbella seafront this morning, said: “I had friends who were here a couple of weeks ago on holiday and they used their umbrellas most days. People we’ve spoken to that live here said they can’t remember it being this bad with the rain. The beaches look a bit of a mess so I imagine they’ll have their work cut out getting them ready for Easter.”
British tourist John Wells, enjoying a pre-lunch stroll along Marbella seafront this morning, said: “I had friends who were here a couple of weeks ago on holiday and they used their umbrellas most days. People we’ve spoken to that live here said they can’t remember it being this bad with the rain. The beaches look a bit of a mess so I imagine they’ll have their work cut out getting them ready for Easter.”
