Brits in Spain sent chilling government phone alerts over 'imminent extreme' weather'

Expats living in Spain were left petrified as a government flood alert sent out to all phones causing them to make a loud sound. The 'red alert' sent out by the Spanish government made an alarm sound play out on people’s devices, described as “extremely painful to the ears”.

The warning alert came with a message in Spanish and English sent from the government to thousands of residents across the Costa del Sol and other parts of the Málaga region. The message read: "Civil alert… Red warning activated (Aemet), extreme risk of rainfall… be very cautious, avoid travel and follow the advice of 112," reports MirrorOnline.

This is believed to be the first use of the Proteccion Civil force’s new Es-Alert system in Malaga. Several areas of the country have again been put on high alert, with a new weather front anticipated to bring torrential rain and low temperatures, just two weeks after flash floods killed hundreds of people in and around Valencia.

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So far the downpours have seen almost 3,000 people evacuated from areas on the banks of the Guadalhorce river in Malaga. Meanwhile high speed train services between Malaga and Madrid were stopped and Malaga Clinical Hospital has suspended activity due to flooding.

Concerns are growing that the Campanillas River which links Antequera and Malaga will overflow as the weather situation becomes worse. One British expat described how they had been startled by the loud alarm. “I nearly spilled my tea all over me, the sound was like something out an apocalypse film, but it’s fair to say we are all bl***y aware now!” they told the Olive Press.

Red alerts remain in place in Malaga until midnight and Tarragona until 10pm. Other areas of Andalusia, Catalonia and the Valencian Community are under an orange warning - the second on a scale of three - for rain.

I just got an alert on my phone, it frightened the c**p out of us!” another expat told the outlet. “It flashed up like an alarm and made this horrible beeping sound that was painful to the ears.”