A fresh wave of bitterly cold weather hit 33 of Spain's 50 provinces, the country’s meteorological service said.
Over 9,000 children were off school on Thursday after classes were cancelled across northern Spain. Galicia was the worst affected region, but schools were also closed in Catalonia, Castille La Mancha and La Rioja.
Over 8,000 Galician students have been affected, the majority around the city of Lugo, Spanish media have reported.
In Madrid, a motorist died after his van was blown off a bridge in high winds, falling 35 metres , according to Spanish emergency services. Firefighters had to rescue a party of 64 children and four adults who were staying in Navacerrada, a popular skiing area to the north of Madrid.
Nieve en la @serratramuntana pic.twitter.com/WpvLTlLilp
— Cronica Balear (@CBalear) February 6, 2015
Six German tourists are currently trapped in the Serra de Tramuntana mountains in Majorca. A rescue operation is underway.
In the northern province of Leon, civil guards rescued 19 "disoriented" Catholic pilgrims, including three Koreans, a South African and 13 children, on the road to Santiago de Compostela.
Town councils, along with the Red Cross and other charities, have put in place special plans to help the homeless and get them off the streets during the bad weather, reports Spanish daily, La Razon.
Spanish authorities have warned of a serious risk of flooding in Catalonia, northeastern Spain, and the Balearic islands while more snow and ice is expected elsewhere.
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