Madrid-Sana
The Spanish authorities announced today that rescue operations are continuing and removing snow accumulated in the streets of the capital Madrid and several regions in the wake of the "Felomena" snowstorm, which has so far killed 4 people, making it the strongest storm to hit the country for many years.
The Associated Press quoted Transport Minister Jose Luis Opalos as saying that "the storm Philomena disrupted road traffic in addition to the suspension of railways and flights," noting that "about 20,000 km of roads in central Spain were affected by the storm."
He explained that "emergency crews cleaned two runways at the Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas International Airport in the capital from the accumulating snow," noting that all people who were trapped inside their cars and stranded were also rescued.
And the army's emergency teams participated in facilitating access to food distribution centers in Madrid and to hospitals at a time when Spain is struggling with the increase in the number of recorded infections with the Corona virus after the Christmas and New Year holidays.
In turn, Interior Minister Fernando Grande Markasca warned that "the danger is not over yet and that there is more severe cold and ice formation over the next week," stressing that "the government will take additional steps to ensure that the weekly shipment of the Coronavirus vaccine can be distributed tomorrow, Monday."
The weather service expects temperatures to drop to minus 14 degrees Celsius in the eastern province of Albacete by next Tuesday, with the storm Philomena losing some of its strength as it moves east.