Pictures from the aftereffects of snowstorm Filomena that triggered heavy snowfall across Spain have flooded the social media. One of the worst affected areas of the storm is Spain’s capital, Madrid where up to 20 inches of snow fell last weekend. Temperatures in Madrid have been reported to hit minus eight degree celsius due to the storm.
Here is how the social media reacted to the snowstorm that has turned Spain white:
La Liga club Valencia’s player Maxi Gomez can be seen next to a snowman in this picture:
Maxi Gómez enjoying the snow in Spain with his new friend. pic.twitter.com/oOtlxolvi8— Warriors of Uruguay (@UruguayanHeroes) January 11, 2021
Another netizen shared this video and said that this kind of snow has occurred in Spain after nearly 61 years and this is how people are enjoying it.
I interrupt your doomscroll to let you know it hasn’t been snow covered like this in 61 years in Madrid, Spain. People are into it so I’m going to share some videos. This guy has been waiting for this his entire life- pic.twitter.com/tMxgG6OrCw— jaded new yorker (@nozztilbrooklyn) January 9, 2021
While some adventure sport lovers have found a perfect opportunity to ski in the streets of Madrid like this person here:
Skiing the streets of MADRID! #spain #Espana #snow #madridsnow pic.twitter.com/kNdED5x7Yb— Evan Kirstel #CES2021 (@EvanKirstel) January 10, 2021
The snow-covered trees in Spain have also provided an opportunity for people to take some spectacular images.
The Snow in Spain falls mainly in Madrid- for the first time in 10yrs ❄️ pic.twitter.com/5DXwcZpd2m— Berhan (@berhan_t) January 7, 2021
The nearly 20 inches of snow that came with the cold wave that swept across the Iberian
Peninsula has also given snow artists a chance to carve some beautiful creations. Like how a priest carved a crucified Jesus out of snow here:
Spain with snow is almost as beautiful as Spain without snow. pic.twitter.com/f3mmQMGYnm— Fr. Goyo (@FrGoyo) January 11, 2021
Madrid City Centre today as the snow storm has his Spain ... pic.twitter.com/pkckBb0gK3— Fr. Robbie O’Callaghan (@FrRobbieOCall) January 9, 2021
However, the storm also created a lot of inconvenience in the country. According to BBC at least four people died, and thousands of travellers were left stranded after Madrid International airport had to halt its services. With dipping mercury, meteorologists also issued warnings that the snow might turn into perilous ice.
The blizzard comes at a time when the country is facing a pandemic and the Spanish government is issuing vaccines to its population. To ensure a smooth process of vaccine distribution amidst the blizzard, Spanish government said it had taken extra steps like police-escorted convoys to ensure its expected shipment of around 3,00,000 coronavirus vaccines that can be distributed as planned to regional health authorities this week, reports BBC.
Spanish Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos said on Sunday that their commitment is to guarantee the supply of health, vaccines, and food. The government also cleared the corridors to deliver the goods.
Las quitanieves del Ministerio siguen limpiando los accesos a hospitales, residencias, grandes superficies, farmacéuticas e infraestructuras críticas para minimizar los efectos del temporal a la ciudadanía y asegurar el abastecimiento de bienes y servicios esenciales. pic.twitter.com/zRiirjAGX9— José Luis Ábalos (@abalosmeco) January 11, 2021
Spain has also deployed soldiers to clear some of the 700 major roads in the country that have been covered with snow. Country’s emergency services have rescued over 2,500 people stuck in snowbound vehicles, according to the news agency AFP.
According to the Spanish national weather agency, the Filomena storm covered the city and surrounding areas in more than a foot and a half of snow, which is the most ice the city has seen since 1971.
