Weather alert in place for Malaga as much-needed rain finally falls across province

The yellow warning is in place until 10pm and up to 15mm could fall in an hour almost anywhere, according to Aemet

Ignacio Lillo

Malaga

Thursday, 18 May 2023, 17:00 | Updated 19:22h.

Sudden, scattered downpours across Malaga province this Thursday, 18 May, have ended an 80-day streak of unseasonally warm, tinder-dry weather.

The rain gauge of the Junta de Andalucía’s Hidrosur network in Santón Pitar, in Los Montes de Málaga, had recorded 91mm, as of 3pm. A sudden downpour dumped almost 51mm between 12noon and 1pm, and another 28mm in the next hour.

There were also significant rains in the upper Axarquia, in Alfarnatejo, recording 40mm. But despite the inland rains, they have hardly touched the reservoirs, with the heaviest downpours occurring downstream.

In the Guadalhorce system, which supplies Malaga city and the Guadalhorce valley, La Encantada recorded 6.5mm while the Guadalteba reservoir recorded 5mm, and almost 7mm fell at the La Concepción reservoir in Costasoleña. La Viñuela, which is in a critical situation holding less than 10% of its capacity, is awaiting runoff from the upper Axarquia region

Malaga city also collected its fair share of water, even hail, in the Ciudad Jardín, Colmenar road and Fuente Olletas areas. Downpours were also recorded in the east of the city, especially in Pinares de San Antón and El Palo areas, where between 15 and 17mm was collected, while around 8mm fell in the centre.

Ronda recorded the heaviest overnight rainfall between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, collecting about 15mm.

While the rains are much-needed and welcome, especially by farmers, president of Asaja Malaga Baldomero Bellido said it is still not enough. "What is falling at the moment is not great. For the countryside to start to recover we need upwards of 100 to 150mm because we have a lot of accumulated deficit,” he said.

The rains are forecast to continue until at least the start of next week. The state weather agency, Aemet, has activated a general yellow warning in the province this Thursday for showers and thunderstorms that could dump up to 15mm in just one hour. The warning extends from 10am to 10pm across the whole of Malaga province.

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