Thousands of residents in Spainhis Costa del Sol were evacuated due to fears of a new weather front that could bring flooding to the region again.

Two weeks after the worst floods in the country’s modern history killed more than 200 people, authorities issued a rare red alert for RAINFALL in Málagawhich prompted the evacuation of approximately 3,000 people living along the Guadalhorce River.

Meteorological Agency of Spain Aemet issued orange and red alerts for parts of Andalusia, Catalonia and Valencia, warning that prolonged and intense rain could push rivers to dangerous levels, threatening lives and buildings.

The province of Malaga, including the tourist resort of Marbella on the Costa del Sol, is expected to be affected by the weather, but Catalonia in northeastern Spain has also been placed on red alert until Wednesday evening.

Schools have been closed in high-risk areas as residents prepare for what officials warn could be days of relentless rain and rising waters.

Antonio Sanz, a minister from the regional government, said: “We did not evacuate entire cities, but rather specific areas linked to the riverside. This decision has been communicated to the government of Spain in order to receive the cooperation of the forces and security bodies of the state.”

The weather phenomenon “Dana” is not expected to be as dramatic as the red alert on October 29, but it has the potential to bring continuous rains that could quickly flood vulnerable areas such as the eastern and southern Mediterranean, El Mundo reported .

Instead of moving quickly across a region, Dana can stall and produce prolonged and intense rainfall over several days.

The impact of Wednesday’s expected rain could be severe because of the large amounts of mud already on the ground and the state of the sewage system, Rosa Tauris, spokeswoman for Valencia’s emergency committee, told reporters.

The city council of Paiporta, Valencia, advised flood relief volunteers to avoid any area under orange alert today, El Mundo reported. The council also urged those in affected areas “not performing priority tasks to take shelter”.

Following criticism over the government’s inadequate response to last month’s floods, authorities could face intense scrutiny as they manage the latest round of severe weather.

During a visit to Valencia in the immediate aftermath of the floods, King Felipe VI, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and regional president Carlos Mazón faced public outrage in the town of Paiporta, where residents hurled mud and insults, frustrated by what they saw as insufficient state support.

Growing anger over the government’s handling of the crisis sparked a massive protest on Saturday night, with 130,000 people taking to the streets of Valencia to demand Mr Mazón’s resignation.

At the opening of COP29 in Baku on Monday, the president of the United Nations climate summit, Mukhtar Babayev, pointed to recent catastrophes in Valencia and other regions as evidence that climate collapse is already underway.