Weather

In August 2009, we experienced a spectacular electrical storm in the Orba valley which lasted for almost 30 minutes with continuous lightning between the clouds and thunder rolling around the mountains. Vernon posted two photos of the storm on the Iberianature website  http://www.iberianature.com/spainblog/category/extreme-weather-spain/

Click here to watch a short video of  the storm.

We had been in Spain for less than a month in October 2007 when we experienced 3 days of continuous torrential rain in the worst ‘gota fria’ (’cold drop’ which occurs every October) for 25 years. When the rain finally stopped on 12th October, the trickle of water that normally flowed through Jalon had become a raging torrent and washed away the road from our urbanisation into the town!

Watch this incredible video taken from the only bridge across the river into town and note the car floating down the river! It was 24 hours before we could get to the bridge in order to reach the supermarket to replenish our food stocks in the holiday villa we were renting. Despite this experience, we still decided to live in Spain!

During the long, hot summer fires are a major hazard and during 2009, we had several in the valley. The usual method of fighting them is from the air with helicopters and sometimes planes.

Sunsets are wonderful here too!