Thousands evacuated in Malaga as more flood alerts issued across Spain
Thousands of people have been evacuated in Malaga as more torrential rainfall is expected across Spain, just two weeks after flash floods killed over 200 people in Valencia.
Almost 3,000 people were evacuated from areas near the banks of the Guadalhorce river in Malaga, with residents warned to exercise "maximum caution" by the authorities.
Aemet, Spain's national weather service, placed several areas in the southern Andalusia region, including Costa del Sol and Malaga, on red alert - with 120mm of rain expected to fall in 12 hours.
Tarragona, in the eastern Catalonia region, is also on red alert for rain.
Alerts were sent to resident's mobile phones on Wednesday, warning of an extreme risk of rainfall and asking them to exercise caution and avoid travel.
Over 1,000 schools and education centres have also closed in Malaga and Granada as a precaution, according to authorities.
Andulisian Minister of the Presidency Antonio Sanz said he wanted to "appeal to civic responsibility and maximum caution".
Speaking about the evacuations, he said: "We have not evacuated entire towns, but rather specific areas linked to the riverbank.
"This decision has been communicated to the government of Spain in order to receive collaboration from the state security forces and bodies."
Photos on social media showed residents in Costa del Sol covering their cars in plastic and tying them to lampposts as they brace for potential flooding.
Vehicles in Valencia, and most recently, Girona, were swept away and left piled up after flood water swamped through the streets.
A number of other regions in southern and eastern Spain are under an amber alert with a significant risk of rain.
In Valencia, around 40 municipalities closed schools, universities and suspended outdoor activities, including in Chiva, Aldaia and Paiporta - the towns which were most affected by the recent deadly floods.
On Wednesday, Spanish King Felipe VI visited armed forces in Valencia who are assisting in the massive clean-up of the deadly floods that hit the region.
Spain's Civil Guard also said three people who were posing as relief volunteers were arrested near the city of Valencia after officers found a large bag of cannabis on them.
Spanish police arrest three people who were posing as relief volunteers after officers found a large bag of cannabis on them
The flash floods two weeks ago claimed at least 220 lives, mostly from the eastern Valencia region and are the country's worst natural disaster in recent memory.
Thousands of Spaniards protested in the city of Valencia on Sunday to demand the resignation of regional president in charge of the emergency response to the catastrophic floods.
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