Spain braces for massive storm

Madrid - Spanish authorities sounded the alarm Saturday as a massive storm front moving in from the Atlantic Ocean approached the Iberian Peninsula. On coastal regions in the northern part of the country, officials declared the highest alert status as the storm approached.

Meteorologists spoke of an "explosive" weather situation and a "meteorological bomb" approaching the country.

The storm front was expected to strike Spain overnight from Saturday to Sunday. Authorities urged people to stay at home, while lorries were ordered off the roads.

The Spanish government also set up an emergency team led by Interior Minister Perez Rubalcaba.

Overnight, the storm struck the Canary Islands, with winds of 120 kilometers per hour and, in some cases in the mountains of La Palma, speeds of up to 190 kilometers per hour.

Numerous flights were canceled on La Palma and several roads were shut down, as the winds uprooted trees and lamp posts on La Palma and the neighboring island Teneriffa.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/311610,spain-braces-for-massive-storm.html.