UK tourists warned as Spain issues rare red weather alert

A rare red weather warning has been issued for Spain as the country feels the effects of Storm Herminia, which is also battering parts of the UK.

Aemet, Spain’s national weather agency, has released a ‘special advisory notice’ for wind, sea, rain and snow covering mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands which lasts until Thursday, January 30.

Spain’s northern coastline is covered by a red warning with combined sea swells of up to 8m to 10m forecast, “temporarily increasing to 10m to 12m”.

“Occasional” offshore winds of up to 88km/h are predicted. The red warning is in force until 3pm today, Monday January 28.

Amber warnings are also in force along parts of the northern coastline, while yellow and amber warnings cover the southern coast, including Almeria and Malaga.

Elsewhere yellow warnings for wind and rough coastal conditions have been issued for the Balearic Islands. Yellow warnings for snow are in force for some mountain regions in mainland Spain.

Conditions are expected to improve by Wednesday, January 29, with the red warnings replaced by amber alerts.

Forecasters warn that although Storm Herminia will have moved on, a “new and deep Atlantic storm will arrive that will move through the extreme north of the peninsula”. “Hurricane-force” winds are even expected in some mountain regions.

Forecasting for Wednesday, Aemet’s special advisory notice reads: “The westerly wind is expected to increase again, with very strong gusts in Galicia and the rest of the Cantabrian coast, as well as in the Iberian system, in the northern plateau and in points of the eastern third of the peninsula.

“It is not ruled out that they will be locally hurricane-force in high mountain areas of the Cantabrian mountain range and on exposed