WORLD NEWS: Thousands evacuated in Costa del Sol as Spain's weather alert escalates

New flooding fears have led to the evacuation of thousands from their homes near the Costa del Sol as weather alerts escalate.

Holidaymakers and locals alike are cautioned about 'extreme risk' due to a ramped-up red alert in the area.

Spain's Civil Protection Agency sent out an urgent mobile alert to those in Malaga province shortly after 10pm, advising in both Spanish and English: "Red warning activated. Extreme risk of rainfall. Be very cautious, avoid travel."

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In light of the emergency, over 300,000 students will be missing school today, following an announcement that all local schools would remain closed due to severe weather concerns.

An early precautionary measure saw roughly 3,000 people from around 1,000 homes evacuated near the Guadalhorce River—recently ravaged by storms and rain which resulted in a British expat aged 71 losing their life.

The renowned tourist hotspots of Marbella and Estepona on the Costa del Sol are poised to suffer most severely from the extraordinary weather brought on by a DANA, also known as a cold drop. The same phenomenon previously sparked deadly flash floods, costing over 200 lives around Valencia's eastern city, reports Chronicle Live.

Though dry at dawn along this well-known coastal stretch, expectations are for conditions to drastically change from around 10am with the red weather warning anticipated to last until the stroke of midnight.

Antonio Sanz, the regional government representative, recognised the gravity of the situation last night as he announced residential evacuations and school closures for today: "The situation for the province of Malaga is of extreme risk." He added: "The forecast was that we were going to be on yellow alert but weather agency Aemet has raised this to red."

Residents near the River Guadalhorce, including towns like Alora, Cartama, and Alhaurin de la Torre, have been moved to temporary shelters such as sports centres if they can't find alternative accommodation with friends or family.

This follows the death of a British pensioner in a Malaga hospital two weeks ago, after being rescued from his flooded home in one of the at-risk areas suffering from hypothermia following a heart attack. Images from yesterday showed anxious locals boarding up their homes or placing sandbags in preparation for the looming storm.

Some coastal residents even wrapped their cars in plastic sheeting in an attempt to protect them from flood damage. In parts of Malaga, supermarkets have seen items like mineral water and meat fly off the shelves as people start to stockpile essentials.

Castellon, another region on red alert located north of Valencia, experienced an early impact from the latest extreme weather event to hit Spain. Towns including Benicarlo, famed for its annual music festival, and Vinaros were among the hardest hit. Last night saw bins floating down streets as drivers struggled to avoid them.

The severe weather has led to school closures today, affecting thousands of children in the northern part of Costa Blanca, including Denia and Calpe near Benidorm. Valencia city and some of its suburbs, still reeling from last month's devastating floods, have also decided to suspend classes.

After a dry summer, Spain is experiencing an autumn filled with unusual weather events. Just last Friday, residents in Cadaques in the northern Spanish province of Girona woke up to a scene of destruction after 32 cars were swept away by flood water.

Many ended up stacked on top of each other by a bridge in front of the town casino, with at least one of the wrecked vehicles appearing to belong to foreign tourists, according to its number plate. Remarkably, there were no reports of any casualties in the former fishing village near where renowned artist Salvador Dali used to live.

Cadaques is just over three hundred miles north of Valencia, where the majority of the 223 people who lost their lives in the flash floods late last month in Spain died.

King Felipe VI of Spain, who was previously pelted with mud alongside Queen Letizia and Spanish politicians including Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez during his initial visit to Valencia following the natural disaster, made a solo return to the city yesterday. On this occasion, he visited the soldiers who have been aiding in rescue and clean-up operations.

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