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Storm Leonardo keeps Andalucía on edge as evacuations continue and alerts remain in place
Strong winds, flooding and school disruption across several provinces while emergency services stay on high alert
Storm Leonardo continues to batter large parts of Andalucía, with heavy rain, strong winds and rising rivers forcing evacuations, closing roads and disrupting daily life across the region.From early Wednesday morning, the impact was already being felt in towns and cities. Many schools and public services were affected as safety measures were activated ahead of the worst of the storm, while authorities urged residents to stay at home where possible. Local Ayuntamientos activated emergency plans as alerts were raised across multiple provinces.
In Cádiz province, conditions have been particularly severe. In San Fernando, wind gusts peaked at 81.7 kilometres per hour at around 4.00am. Rainfall over the past 24 hours reached 21 litres per square metre, with the heaviest burst late on Tuesday night.Despite the conditions, the mayor of San Fernando confirmed there had been no serious incidents so far. “The night ends with hardly any incidents in San Fernando,” she said on social media, thanking emergency teams for overnight monitoring and residents for their “responsible and exemplary behaviour.”
Further south, the situation remains more delicate. Aemet raised the warning to red alert for heavy rain in the Strait of Gibraltar area on Wednesday afternoon, warning that rainfall could reach 120 litres per square metre in just one hour. Grazalema and the Serranía de Ronda were also under red alerts, with exceptionally high rainfall already recorded.
As rivers continue to swell, more than 3,000 people have been evacuated from flood-prone areas in Cádiz, Jaén and Málaga. In Algeciras, the overflow of the Pícaro River forced the confinement of residents in Las Herrizas, while 36 people were rehoused overnight in a municipal pavilion as a precaution.
Road travel has been heavily disrupted, especially in Cádiz, where dozens of provincial roads have been closed due to flooding, debris and unsafe conditions. Authorities continue to advise against non-essential journeys and urge people to follow official updates only.
Region-wide, six rivers remain at red alert level and another 18 at orange. Andalusian government minister Antonio Sanz warned that water levels are rising quickly and that further evacuations may be necessary if rainfall continues. “The important thing is to anticipate and act preventively,” he said.
Looking ahead, Aemet warns that many areas of Andalucía remain under orange and red alerts, with forecasts pointing to continued heavy and persistent rain, strong westerly winds and very strong gusts.With the ground already saturated, emergency services say vigilance remains essential as Storm Leonardo continues to affect the region.
Images: Aemet
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