STORM Irene made landfall in Spain last night as high winds, heavy rain and thunderstorms battered the Costa del Sol.
Videos taken by residents show roads flooded after heavy downpours swept across the region in the early hours of the morning.
The rain was accompanied by outbreaks of thunder and lightning, with locals in Estepona woken up as a violent electrical storm enveloped the town.
AEMET, the Spanish government’s meteorological agency, expects rainfall to persist across the region this Wednesday, January 17.
The wet conditions are predicted to continue until the weekend, with a 90% chance of rain in Malaga on Friday.
The Atlantic tropical storm, christened Irene by the French meteorological services, has also brought high winds to Spain, with warnings across the nation for gusts of over 100km/h.
AEMET has issued a yellow weather warning for high wind and large swell in the provinces of Sevilla, Huelva and Cadiz.
There are also wind warnings for the provinces of Almeria, Granada and Jaen, whilst Malaga is bracing for gusts of up to 70km/h.
With the looming possibility of water restrictions following Andalucia’s longest drought in 40 years, there is hope that consistent rainfall could irrigate the soil and provide much-need relief for the region’s water sources.
The city of Fuengirola recently became the first municipality on the Costa del Sol to announce water restrictions, with water cut off for seven hours per day from last Monday, January 15.
There is also worry that the production of key goods, such as olive oil, will be put under threat unless there is consistent rainfall in the coming months.
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