Who are they? Or what are they? Three names sound English, one German, one Scandinavian, one Italian and one Spanish.
They are, in fact, the names given to the borrascas (storms) we've suffered in Malaga province this hydrological year (2025/26). SEVEN named storms since October! And that's not counting several other unnamed bad weather events.
[BBC]
And there are still climate change deniers out there! Unbelievable!
When does a storm get given a name?
When it is deemed that a storm is likely to have a significant impact on the population in its path. The aim is to ease tracking, to improve the communication of weather alerts and to avoid confusion when there are several weather events happening at the same time, as now.
Alice hit us at the beginning of October.
Then, it went quiet until January 16th when Harry arrived.
Four days later we felt the wrath of Ingrid, then five days after that Joseph.
Within two days, Kristin came on January 27th.
Eight days later it was the turn of Leonardo and three days after that Marta.
[Facebook]
That was two days ago. Another unnamed storm is due to hit us today.
What damage has been done?
As of this morning three people have died and thousands have been evacuated from their homes. The entire village of Grazalema, just across the border in Cadiz province, has been emptied of people, most of whom have been accommodated in a sports hall in Ronda (Malaga).
Residents of Benaojan Estacion have also been evacuated as a precaution.
[Euro Weekly News] Flooding in Benaojan [Reuters]
The generosity of companies, bars, restaurants, charities and individuals has been astonishing, with donations of food, drink, clothes and time.
Maripaz Fernandez, the mayoress of Ronda, has allocated emergency council funding; Benito Gomez, the double Michelin-starred chef has set up a kitchen; Solidarios, a local charity, has allocated volunteers and funding.
As one commentator, writing in SUR, the Malaga newspaper, yesterday, put it. There are no Spaniards as generous and supportive as the people of Andalucía.
Benito Gomez and other chefs help out [Malaga Hoy]
Links
[YouTube] `[Sky News]
© Paul Whitelock
Pictures:
BBC, Diario SUR, Euro Weekly News, Facebook, Karl Smallman, Malaga Hoy, Paul Whitelock, RTVE, Reuters, Ronda Semanal, Sky News, YouTube
Thanks:
Diario SUR, Malaga Hoy, Paul Whitelock, RTVE, Ronda Semanal
Tags:
Alice, Andalucía, Benaojan, Benito Gomez, borrasca, BBC, Cadiz, dam, Diario SUR, embalse, Euro Weekly News, Facebook, Grazalema, Harry, Ingrid, Joseph, Karl Smallman, Kristin, Leonardo, Malaga Hoy, Maripaz Fernandez, Marta, Montejaque, Paul Whitelock, RTVE, Reuters, reservoir, Ronda Semanal, Sky News, Solidarios, storm, YouTube