Latest news with #DepresiónAisladaenNivelesAltos
Euronews
29-04-2025
- Climate
- Euronews
Valencians physically, emotionally exhausted six months on from floods
ADVERTISEMENT "We lost it in the DANA," many locals in villages outside Valencia reply of their personal belongings. From baby strollers to wedding dresses, laptops to photo albums - six months after the devastating floods in a number of villages outside Valencia, the so-called DANA remains the only thing on people's minds. The DANA, Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos, or 'cold drop', was the atmospheric phenomenon which on 29 October 2024 brought torrential rain and a year's worth of precipitation. More than 227 people lost their lives and thousands of businesses and homes were damaged. After the flooding, thousands of volunteers from all around Spain came to help clean up. Many arrived by foot. Six months later, although people here are grateful to be alive, the mental suffering feels more acute than ever. With elevators broken down and parking lots destroyed - the day to day lives of people changed for the worse - especially for the old and vulnerable. Although houses are being renovated and businesses gradually reopening, the price tag of the economic damage remains at billions and the psychological consequences for children acute. "We are more drained now than six months ago", Juan Ruiz Father of two Juan Ruiz is about to move house for the second time since losing his newly renovated home six months ago. On top of the normal day to day tasks, daily life now consists of admin, paper work, home renovations - piecing together the life his family had before the 29 October 2024. Juan is forever grateful to the volunteers who gave up their free time to support him and his family, but disappointed with local politicians for their lack of support. A massive demonstration had been arranged for Monday to call for the resignation of the President of the Valencian Community Carlos Mazón, for the management of the DANA of October 29, but was postponed due to the historic electricity outage. With the country on a level 2 emergency plan, organisers said they were acting responsibly for security reasons and would hold the demonstration on Tuesday instead during the EPP party Congress. "Mazón, resign" Demo postponed The spokesperson for the demonstration told Euronews it was terrible to hold the EPP congress and celebration in Valencia, a city still in mourning. "It is for us an insult as they are validating the criminal management of the worst ecological catastrophe in our area" Beatriu Cardona English teacher and spokesperson for DANA victims Beatriu is calling another demonstration for today at 18h30 at the same time the European Popular Party Congress will be hosting an official dinner. "At that very time, six months ago there were dozens of people being flooded and dying from Carlons Mazón's incompetence," Beatriu Cardona told Euronews. For her part, the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has said she would not meet victims this week in Valencia but has invited them instead to Brussels on 13 May. "I hope the People's Party will at least pay for their flights and hotel," chirped José, another demonstrator in the crowd praising the Commission President for showing solidarity. Protesters hope the European People's Party congress will put pressure on Carlos Mazón to step down from politics as the biggest fear in Valencia is that the tragic DANA will strike again.
Local Spain
13-03-2025
- Climate
- Local Spain
What's a 'borrasca' in Spain and how is it different from a DANA?
In October 2024, a DANA weather phenomenon hit the Valencia region and took over 220 lives in flash flooding. While the political ramifications of that rumble on, another meteorological term you might have heard recently in the Spanish media is borrasca. This is especially true as la borrasca Konrad hits much of Spain with plenty of rain, strong winds and snow over the coming days. But what exactly is a borrasca and how is it different from a DANA? What's a DANA? Firstly, we should start with a reminder of a what a DANA is. DANA is an acronym which stands for Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos. The official definition from Aemet, Spain's state meteorological agency is: 'A closed depression at high altitude which has become isolated and separated from jet stream circulation, and which moves independently of such a flow becoming, at times, stationary.' In other words, a DANA is a very intense wind current that forms when it breaks away from a polar jet, a sort of pocket of cold air surrounded by warmer air that can move around and cause extreme weather episodes, as we saw so tragically in Valencia recently. It's the meeting of hot and cold air fronts causing extreme weather, essentially. We don't really have a direct translation into English, but DANAs can be best described as periods of heavy rain, stormy weather and a sudden drop in temperatures. What's a borrasca? Una borrasca, which can literally mean an area of low pressure but is also used in Spanish to refer to a storm, develops when warm, humid air rises in large quantities, creating an area of low pressure. These low pressure systems tend to attract air fronts that generate rain and intense winds over a wide area. Unlike a DANA, which is an isolated mass of cold air, borrascas can cover very large areas and affect several countries at the same time. They are not usually as explosive as a DANA in terms of sudden rainfall, but they can in some cases cause flooding due to continuous rain and strong winds. While a DANA is usually very localised, especially affecting specific areas where cold air is trapped over masses of warm air. Borrascas tend to cover a much larger area. DANAs form in the upper atmosphere and are characterised by an isolated pocket of cold air that causes instability below, while a borrasca develops from the surface as an area of low pressure and is usually accompanied by fronts carrying warm and cold air. As we saw so tragically in Valencia, DANAs are short, sudden bursts of extreme weather. Borrascas tend to last longer but are less intense and destructive. Due to their intense nature, DANAs cause concentrated torrential rain. Borrascas, on the other hand, as we're seeing with borrasca Konrad, usually bring a steadier, more continuous rain and moderate winds over a longer period of time.
