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The Region of Murcia, along with much of southern Spain, was thrown into chaos over the weekend as a massive storm system unleashed torrential rain, hailstones and dramatic waterspouts that tore furniture from a seafront promenade.

 

The eastern half of the Region bore the brunt of the extreme weather, with between 50 and 70 litres per square metre hammering down in the early hours of Sunday morning, December 28. Areas around Beniel, Santomera, Murcia, Fortuna and Abanilla were hit hardest, prompting Spain's State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) to activate a red alert in the Segura River valley.

 

The sheer volume of water sent irrigation ditches and farm channels bursting over their banks. Nearby, waterfalls that hadn't been seen in years suddenly reappeared on the slopes of the Orihuela mountains, creating an eerie spectacle for locals who ventured out to witness the downpour.

 

But the real drama came at the Merancho irrigation canal, which saw its flow increase fivefold by 10am, reaching a dangerous 5.3 cubic metres per second. The Segura River Basin Authority wasted no time in issuing an extreme hydrological alert as the situation spiralled.

 

Just after half eleven in the morning, residents' phones started pinging with Civil Protection warnings about the risk of the canal overflowing between Beniel and Santomera. Regional president Fernando López Miras joined emergency services in urging people to stay well clear of the area. The smaller irrigation canals had been feeding massive amounts of water into the system all morning, and the main channel from Santomera reservoir was adding to the deluge.

 

The weather turned on a sixpence, with temperatures nosediving from 12ºC to just 6ºC in a matter of hours. The Guardia Civil, Local Police and Civil Protection sprang into action, closing flooded roads and monitoring canal banks. Thankfully, the water stayed within the banks in Murcia, although some Alicante municipalities weren't so lucky.

 

The storm wasn't finished yet. Lightning lit up much of the Region as heavy rain continued to pound Fortuna and Abanilla, forcing the Santomera dam to release more than two cubic hectometres of water. The reservoir's level shot up by three metres, reaching 20% capacity, although the emergency services kept things at precautionary level without needing to open the bottom outlets.

 

Hail joined the party as well, pelting towns from north to south. Yecla, Puerto Lumbreras, Águilas, Murcia and Mazarrón all took a battering throughout the day. The Segura River basin saw widespread rain, with 70 litres falling between Cehegín and Bullas, and 20 litres in the Altiplano, where farmers had been crying out for moisture.

 

By the afternoon, Aemet had upgraded the warning to orange for the Guadalentín Valley and Campo de Cartagena as storms continued to build. The Guadalentín River's flow surged to 67 cubic metres per second near Lorca, leading the authorities to warn people away from the Paretón Dam. Civil Protection also issued alerts about rising water levels in normally dry riverbeds crossing roads to the town of Pulpí in Almería province.

 

But perhaps the most spectacular sight came in Mazarrón, where several waterspouts, tornado-like columns that form over the sea during thunderstorms, made a rare appearance on Sunday afternoon. These atmospheric vortices, which are fairly common in the Mediterranean between May and October, usually stay out at sea where they only pose a danger to boats.

 

Not this time. One of the waterspouts made contact with the seafront promenade and all hell broke loose. The force of the wind ripped street furniture from its moorings and sent chairs and tables from seafront terraces flying through the air. Witnesses watched in amazement as the waterspouts moved from Mazarrón towards Cartagena, a journey that typically only lasts a few minutes but left quite the impression on locals.

 

Aemet has kept a yellow alert in place for Monday, with the Campo de Cartagena area potentially seeing another 15 litres per square metre of rain before the system finally moves on.

 

Images & Videos: Mete Orihuela