A Hurricane and a River of Ash: The Spectacular Images Left by Storms in the Province of Alicante

The storms that battered the province of Alicante on Monday, September 2, have left behind spectacular images, such as the hurricane captured in Benilloba or a section of the Frainos River tinted gray due to the ashes from the brutal fire that turned the municipality of Benasau into an inferno just a month ago.

Additionally, a lightning strike caused a forest fire in Cabeçó de Busot, which, fortunately, was stabilized in just two hours thanks to the arduous efforts of the responders, who were aided by the rainfall.

The first cinematic image was recorded around 2:40 PM when a resident of Benilloba (@NachoEspinos_10) filmed a tornado that touched down slightly east of Puerto de Benifallim, as shared by the citizen on his social media.

Hours later, a massive downpour in the Frainos Valley left more than 100 liters of water in Ares del Bosc, a hamlet of Benasau, where just a month ago, a devastating fire ravaged 270 hectares over six days, forcing the evacuation of more than 150 residents from Penáguila.

The intense rainfall in the area affected by last month's fire caused the water to run gray between Penáguila and Benilloba in the Frainos River, also popularly known as the Penáguila or Alcolecha River - which originates in the Sierra de Aitana - due to rain erosion on the slopes of the canyon burned last month.

The late summer storms have unloaded more than 100 liters in El Comtat. Specifically, 106 l/m² in Ares del Bosc, 99 in Alcoleja, and 73 in Benifallim or 70 in Penáguila, according to data provided by the Valencian Meteorology Agency (Avamet). Additionally, around 3 PM, the Emergency Coordination Center established an orange alert level for rain on the northern coast of Alicante.

The State Meteorology Agency (Aemet) explains that "the passage of an Atlantic trough, which will penetrate through the western peninsula during the second half of the day, will lead to an increase in instability that will last until Wednesday."

The agency emphasizes that storms, as seen in recent days, will occur inland and dissipate as they move towards the coast. It is expected that with the entry of "unstable" maritime air, showers will also affect Alicante's coastline.