Winter storm claims 1 life, puts Spain on alert for floods, snow and wind

By Alyssa McMurty

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - Almost all of Spain was on high alert Tuesday as a powerful storm brought strong winds, heavy snow, rain and rough seas.

The storm already claimed one victim — an 80-year-old man who disappeared during the storm Monday night and whose body was later discovered in the port of the Basque town Bermeo.

In the nearby town of Sondika, emergency services had to rescue a bus full of children trapped on a flooded road.

The storm, dubbed Fein, began Monday and is set to continue until Friday, according to Spanish meteorological service AEMET.

With the entrance of an arctic air mass, temperatures are expected to reach the lowest point on Wednesday, though mountains across the country have already turned white.

Regions in northern Spain are beginning to activate flood protocols as rivers near capacity. Meanwhile, almost all of the country is under a watch or warning for strong winds predicted to reach over 100 kilometers (62.14 miles) per hour.

The majority of Spain's coastal regions are also on alert for large waves. In Galicia, the waves are expected to reach up to nine meters (29.53 feet).

This is Spain's first significant cold snap of the year, with winter and autumn being unseasonably warm.

While the temperatures have prevented consumers from having to burn a lot of gas to heat their homes, the storm is also bringing benefits in terms of Spain's energy situation.

On Tuesday, the wholesale price of electricity plummeted to €4.48 ($4.86) per megawatt hour thanks to the wind and hydroelectricity generated by the strong winds and rain.