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In Pictures: Tidal waves crush northern Spain

Spain's northern coast hasn't seen the last of the destructive tidal waves and gale-force winds that have caused havoc over the past few days. Storm Petra is now on its way, a freak weather occurrence labelled by meteorologists as an "explosive cyclogenesis": the perfect storm.

Published: 5 February 2014 11:53 CET
In Pictures: Tidal waves crush northern Spain
Pedestrians in the northern Spanish city of Gijón (Asturias) run away as huge tidal waves flood the city promenade. Photo: Twitter

If you live in northern Spain, you probably know already it's not the right time to go for a dip in the sea.

Eleven-metre tidal waves (36 feet) and winds of up to 100 kilometres per hour (63mph) have been recorded in Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country.

Even inland northern Spanish regions like La Rioja and Navarre have also felt the effects of a vicious storm which on Monday swept a teenager out to sea in A Coruña (Galicia).

But the worst is yet to come.

Spain’s official weather agency AEMET has put out a warning about the arrival on Wednesday of Storm Petra, a huge low-pressure area that will quickly form as it’s met by several cold Atlantic fronts.

The result? Even bigger waves, winds of up to 140 kilometres per hour and a sudden drop in temperatures.

Here are some of the most jaw-dropping storm photos posted by Twitter users over the past few days. We’ll update the selection as new images of Storm Petra come in.

Wrap up and enjoy!

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