Parts of Spain on high alert as snow and freezing temperatures sweep the country
Sunday, January 3, 2021 @ 10:38 PM
14 of Spain's autonomous communities face severe weather warnings as snow, high winds, freezing temperatures and massive waves along stretches of the coast sweep in on the back of a storm that has already caused the death of a snowplough operator and the disappearance of another in an avalanche in San Isidro in Asturias.
A substantial portion of the country has already been hit by snow, high winds and icy temperatures, with Cantabria and the Basque Country on orange alert because of the heavy snowfall that already caused the closure of a number of motorways to heavy traffic yesterday.
Search parties out in Asturias
The search continues for the other snowplough operator, Virgilio García, 61, buried under an avalanche in San Isidro, Asturias yesterday, after the body of his colleague, César Fernández, 53, was found. Both men were buried under the avalanche whilst trying to clear the road after a previous avalanche left five metres of snow on the road near Riofrío (altitude 1,520m). Rescuers are proceeding with extreme caution because of the continued risk of further avalanches.
Basque Country, Cantabria, Castilla & León...
In the Basque Country, nine mountain passes are closed to traffic as a result of the heavy snowfall. On a further 11, snow chains are obligatory for all vehicles. The Basque Country has seen 10cm of snow fall in the past 24 hours, with the snowline at 600m.
read more at thinkSPAIN.com