Two dead as storms batter Spain

One man died in Navarra when he tried to cross the river Odrón in his van, which was washed away in strong currents.

The body of a skier, who was trapped in an avalanche in Candanchú, a ski resort in the western Pyrenees, was found on Sunday a day after a rescue attempt was launched by local police and resort staff.

The man, from Bilbao, was skiing with a friend who was also trapped, but was rescued with the aid of snowploughs, reported Spanish daily, 20 minutos.

Much of Spain has been battered by strong winds, snow and rain over the weekend, with around 30 rivers flooding and various ports and motorways being closed.

A woman stands in a flooded street in Amparo, near Santander. (Pic: AFP) 

One of the main routes from the north of Spain to Madrid, the N-113 motorway has been closed after the river Ebro burst its banks in Pamplona.

The river Ebro bursting its banks prompted various rescue efforts, as families became trapped in their homes when river levels rose.

Temporal que azota la costa norte de España. Evita acercarte a espigones y paseos marítimos por tu seguridad pic.twitter.com/ZAyL4Z55ed

— Ministerio Interior (@interiorgob) February 1, 2015

The Spanish interior ministry sent out this tweet warning people not to get too close to breakwaters or promenades because of stormy weather.

Spanish weather agency, AEMET, has announced a high alert for the Spanish Pyrenees on Monday, due to high risk of avalanches, while many of Spain’s provinces, including Castille and Leon, Castille la Mancha, Navarre and parts of Andalusia are on alert for ‘risk of snow’.