What are the seven year storms in Spain ?

[minky]

Hi just come back from nearly a month down in Sanet Negrals in Spain Costa Blanca near Ondarra in the hills ,

I was just wondering why there was such torrential rainfall and thunder and lightening , flooding ect , someone said it only happens every seven years , all the electricity was out, rock slides ect ,

We never thought we would be able to drive to the airport as most roads were flooded, and full of land slide rocks and stones , does this just happen in the Hills or is it or was it all over Benidorm Valencia ect ?
really scary stuff ,

I liked the storm ect quite exciting , but I didn't like the thought of flying in it ,

but the flight was ok,
Ive heard other peoples coming in to Spain around 12th oct 07 was pretty rough , anyone know anything about the mysterious Spanish weather ?

.

 

[sj1973]

i think all the weather is changing at the mo.when i was young we had a white xmas,now the snow comes in nov or march!!!!never heard of 7 year storm,although i love storms can watch them till they go,sorry did not have your answer just glad you got back in one piece:lol:

 

[geeg]

It is a phenominon known as the Gota Fria! And it does happen about every seven years. It is like the flood of Noah there is so much rain.

I have been told that it happens when the cold nothern air of Europe hits the warm or hot air over Spain. Obviously conditions have to be extreme.

The Valencia region has been inundated and there has been allot of damage (as usual). Rivers flood and 'take out' bridges, whole beaches get washed away to somewhere else, land slides and rock slides everywhere etc. No way can you step foot outside the rain is so heavy and the lightning and thunder! People have died.

Thankfully I live 800 feet above sea level but the garden looked like a lake! Next day ... blue sunny skies, everything dried up and back to the usual Spain again. That was a short one. When I first came to live out here the gota fria lasted 5 days and 5 nights!!

 

[minky]

It is a phenominon known as the Gota Fria! And it does happen about every seven years. It is like the flood of Noah there is so much rain.

I have been told that it happens when the cold nothern air of Europe hits the warm or hot air over Spain. Obviously conditions have to be extreme.

The Valencia region has been inundated and there has been allot of damage (as usual). Rivers flood and 'take out' bridges, whole beaches get washed away to somewhere else, land slides and rock slides everywhere etc. No way can you step foot outside the rain is so heavy and the lightning and thunder! People have died.

Thankfully I live 800 feet above sea level but the garden looked like a lake! Next day ... blue sunny skies, everything dried up and back to the usual Spain again. That was a short one. When I first came to live out here the gota fria lasted 5 days and 5 nights!!

Hi Gigi I guess we wern't far from you then ? I remember passing Benissa a few times ,
our pool nearly overflowed and the grass was flooded,

the Labolata bar which is quite near had roaring flood water running at the sides of it and down into the orange groves which a river formed which wasn't there before ,
our utility room was flooded out ,

but the worst and most scary part was trying to get to the airport , as there was a road closure in Vergal and we had to search around for another exit ,we kept having to turn back because of road flooding and land slides,
in the end we had to go down a one way back in Vergal street to get out,

Goodness and to think people don't venture outside the door and we were driving around in it ,

Its upsetting to know people have died in these torrential downpours,
Im so grateful we got to the airport ok, I was praying most of the way , but once we got on the motorway it felt a lot better even though in was still raining hard.

Well Thank you Gigi for taking the time to let me know what the seven year storms are , and I'm really glad it has cleared up and is nice and sunny for again for you and everyone out there, hope the fiestas is still on ,we were looking forwards to that as well ,
it really is beautiful up there still so very Spanish which is lovely ,

also thanks sj1973 , im glad we got to the airport ok too :hug:
cant wait to go back there again though such a beautiful place ,

.

 

[Sassy Hassy]

We did get it bad in Javea. I haven't seen all the damage as I've been away in the mountains all weekend, but driving up there on Firday was pretty hairy with riverbeds that are normaly as dry as bone nearly overflowing. The canal here in Javea was so raised that all the boats were washed away down it and smashing inot each other. Our salon had water coming through the front door, but fortunately it didnt get high enought to totally flood us. boats washed up on the beach. All in all not good. As I was driving from Denia to Tavernes there were fire crews rescuing people. Spain really isn't designed for rain, and particualry not the amount we had! Apparently there is more forecast too.

Glad you enjoyed your stay xxx

 

[minky]

Thank you Sassy and Geeg , I wonder will the weather which is forecast will be as bad again ?
as some more of us are flying out there again next week ,

.

 

[mercedes69]

Sanet y Negrals isn't that far from us...I live in the centre of Javea Port...

The last really bad Gota Fria was Oct/Nov 2001...so it's a year early...!!!

Gota Fria means Cold Drop in Spanish and it's like Gigi says...cold air meeting hot air...

On thursday night there was the signs of it coming because we had the windows open and there was a succession of mini tornadoes....now that managed to take a few trees down...one fell onto our camper van
Friday the police sent the children home from school at lunchtime because their school floods and due the danger of us having to pick them up...
There was a mini respite in the rain about 3pm so I went to the seafront with hubby and got caught up in a wave that decided to drench me as we walking along the promenade...the sea was mud brown as far as the eye could see and it had swollen too...
It left a lot of devastation...went to the supermarket yesterday and there were cars were they shouldn't be!!!
An old lady died in Vergel and apparantly 5 people are still missing...

The Gota Fria in 2001 was a lot worse...we lived in an apartment then 3 streets back from the beach/seafront of Javea Port and we woke up to the sea practically underneath our balcony!!!
That one caused so much damage it was so sad to see our little town devastated and destroyed ...they put sea defences in after that one...

There is actually a risk of it every year....so don't come to Spain in October or November...:lol:

xxx

p.s. It has been forecast more bad weather to come.... although today we spent a glorious day at Denia Port...warm and sunny eating our sunday lunch overlooking the Millionaires yachts...it turns so quickly the weather though so you just never know!

 

[HappyHands]

These sound really bad..:irked:

Does anyone know if its the whole of spain and if so, can you let me know how bad Albox got hit.. we have friends there and have not heard form them

Thanks

 

[mercedes69]

I have no idea where Albox is...or heard of it...
maybe one of the others' knows...

I know the Valencia/Alicante region got hit fairly bad but I am not sure how far spread it was...