SPAIN looks more like the Arctic as this popular expat town by Costa del Sol is battered by hailstones the size of golf balls and torrential rain.
The streets of normally sunny Alhaurin el Grande were covered in ice and rain, which soon turned to hailstones and fast-flowing rivers of water – much to the surprise of residents and tourists.
A person holding a golf ball-sized hailstoneSolarpix
A car and street covered in hailstones next to a river of rainwaterSolarpix
Huge golf ball-sized hailstones on the groundSolarpix
The shocking video shows torrential rain pouring over the terrace of a cafe and hailstones plummeting a car and street, as filmed by the driver trapped inside.
British expat Pat Saunders, who appeared to have been trapped in a bar, joked: “We all had to have an extra drink.”
Irish national Mary Quinn wrote online: “OMG. Look at the size of those hailstones.”
Residents were also shocked by the erratic character of the Spanish weather, five days into spring.
A local resident, commenting on the surreal scenes, said: “At 2pm I was sitting in the square that comes up at the end of this footage, having a coffee in 73 degree heat. The weather’s mad.”
Stunned Eladia Martin Medina, who lives in Cartama just a 10-minute drive away, said: “When was this? There hasn’t been anything where I am.”
Southern Spain has been hit by three weeks of almost continuous rain.
Earlier this week weather officials confirmed that this March has been the second-wettest ever since 1943.
The yellow weather alert yesterday for the province ended with scenes more reminiscent of the Arctic than the Mediterranean.
The streets of Alhaurin emptied and motorists came to a halt as they waited for the hour-long storm to pass after the skies opened at around 4pm yesterday.
Cafe terraces that at this time of the year would have been packed with locals and holidaymakers enjoying an after-lunch coffee were deserted as the tables and chairs were quickly covered in rain and ice.
The good news is that weather chiefs are now predicting wall-to-wall sunshine and blue skies for the rest of the week in the area.
Holidaymakers in Marbella and Benidorm on the Costa Blanca can look forward to top temperatures over 20 degrees Celsius for the next week.
British tourist John Wells, enjoying a pre-lunch stroll along Marbella seafront this morning, said: “I had friends who were here a couple of weeks ago on holiday and they used their umbrellas most days.
“People we’ve spoken to that live here said they can’t remember it being this bad with the rain.
“The beaches look a bit of a mess so I imagine they’ll have their work cut out getting them ready for Easter.”
This comes as the Spanish city of Valencia was transformed into an apocalyptic wasteland following Spain’s deadly floods several months ago.
Authorities recovered the bodies of 219 people.
A shocking video captured the moment one woman was swept away in the deadly flash floods in Spain.
The streets filled with hailstones and flooded with waterSolarpix
A terrace covered in large hailstonesSolarpix