The rain in Spain......................

[John H]

We have been coming to Almeria for the winter for many years now and one of the reasons we choose this area is because it is the driest part of Europe. This December, however, has brought more rain than anyone can remember and over the weekend, our motorhome was standing in water which reached a maximum of 8 inches deep (and we choose this pitch because it never floods!). The lake has receded now and the clean up is beginning (everything is covered in a layer of mud). But we went ahead with our Christmas party last night and the sun is forecast to return. At least there was no serious damage. Further up the coast, towards Alicante, they seemed to have had it even worse and someone was washed out to sea trying to get to his car. All this follows the winter of 2015/2016 which was the driest in memory. The climate is certainly doing some strange things these days.

 

[5andy]

I feel your pain John H! There are too many extremes in the weather these days. This is our first year in Spain and it has rained pretty much since we arrived in Bilbao last Thursday. It was even 7 degrees midday at one point. We are currently hunkered down in Benidorm, the campsite road is more like a river. We still have another 12 hours of this according to the forcast with blue skies tomorrow. We had amazing thunder and lightning last night.55andy

 

[The laird]

I feel your pain John H! There are too many extremes in the weather these days. This is our first year in Spain and it has rained pretty much since we arrived in Bilbao last Thursday. It was even 7 degrees midday at one point. We are currently hunkered down in Benidorm, the campsite road is more like a river. We still have another 12 hours of this according to the forcast with blue skies tomorrow. We had amazing thunder and lightning last night.55andy

Here's a pic o some of my slog and weather Yest mateView attachment 49247

 

[5andy]

Good work. Here's a pic o mine from yesterday.

 

[The laird]

Good work. Here's a pic o mine from yesterday.

No long now mate and it will be glorious for you both.

 

[John H]

I feel your pain John H! There are too many extremes in the weather these days. This is our first year in Spain and it has rained pretty much since we arrived in Bilbao last Thursday. It was even 7 degrees midday at one point. We are currently hunkered down in Benidorm, the campsite road is more like a river. We still have another 12 hours of this according to the forcast with blue skies tomorrow. We had amazing thunder and lightning last night.55andy

No real pain - just a minor discomfort compared to many. Lying in bed, I suddenly remembered on Saturday night as the waters rose that our electric cable had a junction which was resting on the ground and rushed out to raise it above any danger. As I stood there, in the rain , bending over and stark naked, the sky was lit up by lightning. Must have been an interesting sight for anybody peering out of their windows at that point! And don't give up on Spain - it isn't usually like this!

 

[Pauljenny]

Glad you are managing to keep your heads above water, on the Costas. Hope it improves soon.

I thought John was pushing his luck ,over the last couple of weeks , asserting that he was going to the driest part of Iberia.

We , on the other hand,are having wonderful sunshine .. After short, sharp showers on Tuesday and Wednesday, last week.

The wind is Cool and NE.. coming from The Sierras... Is it snowy round Granada ?

 

[Asterix]

We got hammered last night in Cullera,high winds and torrential rain,metal fence is slowly being trashed,took the dog to the beach an hour ago....What beach!! It's covered in water and foam everywhere,the dog looked hilarious with white foam covered legs. Most of the neighbours wimped out and did a runner last night,water everywhere but we ok on the higher ground.
Welcome to sunny Spain!

 

[iampatman]

Same here in Bolnuevo, heavy rain a week ago and for the last three days its been incessant with strong winds too. The sea is brown from all the mud washed out from the Rambla which is usually dry. Nobody here, visitors or locals, can remember weather like it. Its stopped raining now and the forecast isn't too bad for the next few days.

Pat

 

[carol]

Same here in Bolnuevo, heavy rain a week ago and for the last three days its been incessant with strong winds too. The sea is brown from all the mud washed out from the Rambla which is usually dry. Nobody here, visitors or locals, can remember weather like it. Its stopped raining now and the forecast isn't too bad for the next few days.

Pat

Hopefully getting it all out before I arrive!

 

[John H]

Glad you are managing to keep your heads above water, on the Costas. Hope it improves soon.

I thought John was pushing his luck ,over the last couple of weeks , asserting that he was going to the driest part of Iberia.

We , on the other hand,are having wonderful sunshine .. After short, sharp showers on Tuesday and Wednesday, last week.

The wind is Cool and NE.. coming from The Sierras... Is it snowy round Granada ?

The skies are clearing, the sun is trying to shine through and we can see snow on the sierras. Looks like we might be having Christmas lunch on the beach as usual

 

[Asterix]

This is Cullera this morning,wind still howling and showers thrown in.....

 

[pughed2]

Dry in 2015?

JOHN H ...........I don't know where you got your 2015 weather events from, but Antibes France, for one place in 2015, was badly damaged with about 4 foot of flash flooding, and another riverside place even worse, up towards Cannes somewhere, as were 2 or 3 places down the Spanish coast way down towards Valencia, and there was at least one caravan site in Northern Spain washed away in 2014............I was near some of those places and saw the clear ups........is your memory ok?.....steve Bristol

 

[Channa]

JOHN H ...........I don't know where you got your 2015 weather events from, but Antibes France, for one place in 2015, was badly damaged with about 4 foot of flash flooding, and another riverside place even worse, up towards Cannes somewhere, as were 2 or 3 places down the Spanish coast way down towards Valencia, and there was at least one caravan site in Northern Spain washed away in 2014............I was near some of those places and saw the clear ups........is your memory ok?.....steve Bristol

My ex work colleague lost a live in static at Antibes.

2011/2012 We lost 50 statics on Rocqbrune, Argeles was badly flooded too ..all the tents and contents write offs before they could be pulled down.

First time it had happened since Victorian times. You guess right following season the same happened.

It happened that quick , guests ended up being airlifted of the restaurant roof !

To see the sites in the height of summer you wouldn't believe it

Channa

 

[iampatman]

In Bolnuevo between October 2015 and March 2016 it rained on 2 occasions during the day and on three nights, Murcia region was officially declared a drought area.

This is a picture of the "dry" Rambla next to the campsite here this morning, yesterday the water was even higher.



Pat

 

[carol]

Oh dear. Just seen the pics of Cullera too! One way to get rid of the Campers!

 

[John H]

JOHN H ...........I don't know where you got your 2015 weather events from, but Antibes France, for one place in 2015, was badly damaged with about 4 foot of flash flooding, and another riverside place even worse, up towards Cannes somewhere, as were 2 or 3 places down the Spanish coast way down towards Valencia, and there was at least one caravan site in Northern Spain washed away in 2014............I was near some of those places and saw the clear ups........is your memory ok?.....steve Bristol

I was specifically talking about Almeria, where last winter was one of the best anyone down here can remember. We came down via France in September/October 2015 and I know that it was bad there. In fact, we stopped at a campsite in the Ardeche with the intention of canoeing but got moved off the site in the early hours of the morning because of an anticipated rise of the river by up to 10 metres. We moved on to Spain very quickly!

 

[John H]

It is calm down here in Almeria but I have just been told that they are giving warnings of high winds in the Alicante area and high-sided vehicles are being advised not to travel. Hope any of you in that area are ok.

 

[5andy]

Hopefully getting it all out before I arrive!

Sing along now: 'Things can only get better..........'

only reason I can see you need a four by four in Benidorm.

Sandy

 

[The laird]

Is the rain stopped yet