New storms and flooding in Spain cause closures and threaten hard-hit Valencia again
MADRID — New storms in Spain caused school closures and train cancellations on Wednesday, two weeks after flash floods in Valencia and other parts of the country killed more than 220 people and destroyed thousands of homes.
Coastal areas of Valencia were placed under the highest alert on Wednesday evening. Forecasters said up to 7 inches of rain could fall there within five hours.
In southern Malaga province, streets were flooded, while 3,000 people near the Guadalhorce River were moved from their homes as a preventive measure. Schools across the province were closed, along with many stores. Trains traveling between Malaga and Madrid on the high-speed AVE rail line were canceled.
There were no reports of any deaths.
Spanish weather forecaster AEMET put Malaga on red alert, saying up to roughly 3 inches of rain had accumulated in an hour. Parts of Tarragona province in the east also faced heavy rain and remained under red alert.
The forecast in Malaga delayed the start of the Billie Jean King Cup tennis finals between Spain and Poland, which was set for Wednesday.
The storm system affecting Spain is caused by warm air that collides with stagnant cold air and forms powerful rain clouds. Experts say that drought and flood cycles are increasing with climate change.
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