The City Council of Córdoba has closed the city’s parks and gardens from the morning of Friday, April 4, 2025, until 8:00 p.m. the same day, as a precaution against the forecast of strong gusts of wind and heavy rain. This decision was made following a warning issued by the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet), which declared a yellow alert level until 6:00 p.m. on Friday for the Cordoban countryside.
According to the City Council’s statement, the closure includes public parks and gardens, as well as the facilities of the Royal Botanical Garden, the Zoo, the Children’s City, and the gardens of the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos. Residents are advised to stay informed about the evolving weather conditions and to exercise extreme caution if they need to travel or go out during the hours when Aemet has issued warnings.
Last month, Spain experienced significant rainfall due to a series of four storms, marking it as the third rainiest March in the country since records began in 1961. April has continued this trend, with the new storm, Nuria, affecting various regions. On Thursday, April 3, 2025, the eastern part of the Canary Island of La Palma was placed under a red alert due to extreme wind gusts and hazardous coastal phenomena, leading to the cancellation of in-person classes in La Palma and two other islands, Tenerife and La Graciosa, by the Ministry of Education of the Canary Islands.
As of Friday, April 4, 2025, storm Nuria has kept nine autonomous communities under yellow alert for strong winds, rain, storms with the possibility of hail, and coastal phenomena. The hardest hit area is expected to be the southwestern quadrant of the peninsula, where rainfall could reach up to 50 liters per square meter within 12 hours, along with storms and rough seas.
The nine communities currently under yellow alert include Andalusia, Aragon, the Balearic Islands, Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, Catalonia, Extremadura, the Basque Country, and the Valencian Community. In Andalusia, there is a risk of accumulated precipitation of 15 mm in one hour across the western provinces: Cádiz, Huelva, and Seville. Meanwhile, in southwestern Castilla y León (Ávila and Salamanca) and Soria, storms and accumulations of 40 mm are expected within the same 12-hour period.
Castilla-La Mancha is also facing wind gusts of up to 70 km/h in the Montes de Toledo region. In Catalonia, the yellow alert is set to end around 2:00 p.m., but the coastlines of Barcelona, Tarragona, and the central depression of Lleida will be affected by winds of up to 70 km/h. In the Sierra Tramontana region of Mallorca, wind speeds may reach as high as 80 km/h.
In Álava (Basque Country), the alert was only maintained during the early hours of Friday due to strong wind gusts. The storm Nuria is expected to weaken on Friday, providing a brief respite on Saturday, April 5, 2025, with partial stability returning to the peninsula. However, on Sunday, April 6, 2025, another front is anticipated to move in from the southwest, bringing cloudy skies and light to moderate rainfall in the southwestern third of the country.
For the weekend, Aemet does not currently foresee any warnings across Spain. However, the storm has raised concerns regarding reservoirs and rivers, such as the Adaja in Ávila, where water levels have risen significantly, raising fears of possible overflow in nearby areas.
In addition to the weather warnings, three individuals tragically lost their lives on Friday due to the collapse of an industrial building in Coria del Río (Seville), which was reportedly caused by the intense wind and rain associated with storm Nuria. The incident occurred at 11:35 a.m., with emergency services confirming that the roof of the building was blown off by the strong winds.
In Huelva, four agricultural workers were injured due to a tornado that swept through San Bartolomé de la Torre, a direct consequence of the storm’s impact. The town has reported significant damage to various agricultural facilities.
In urban areas, the heavy rains have disrupted public transport, with the Amate station of the Seville Metro closing due to flooding. The service has been divided into two separate routes to manage the situation more effectively.
As the storm continues to affect the region, the City Council of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has opted to keep the García Sanabria park closed for safety inspections following the storm’s passage. The mayor emphasized that ensuring the safety of residents is the top priority.
Looking ahead, the weather forecast indicates a generally stable Sunday, yet there will be an increase in cloud cover as another front approaches. Rain may return to western Galicia, Extremadura, and western Andalusia. Temperatures are expected to rise in the interior of the peninsula, with some regions reaching highs of 28 degrees Celsius in areas like Alicante and Murcia.
The Aemet has reported that the average national rainfall from October 1, 2024, to April 1, 2025, stands at 479 liters per square meter, which is about 18% above normal for this period. Despite the ongoing storms, the agency reassures that conditions will stabilize in the coming days, allowing residents to prepare for a more typical spring weather pattern.
As the storm Nuria continues to impact Spain, residents are urged to remain vigilant and heed warnings from local authorities and meteorological services. The unpredictable nature of spring weather in Spain has once again demonstrated the importance of preparedness and caution during severe weather events.
