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Date Published: 11/11/2022

ARCHIVED - Torrential rain dumps litres of harmful sediment into the Mar Menor

ARCHIVED ARTICLE -

Severe flooding throughout Murcia has further damaged the delicate ecosystem of the lagoon

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Torrential rain dumps litres of harmful sediment into the Mar Menor

The end of the week has brought a dramatic change to the weather, and with the arrival of a DANA (an isolated depression cold drop at high levels), the Mediterranean coast in particular has received a battering from electrical storms and driving rain on Friday November 11.

Flooding has swamped much of the Region of Murcia and the deluge has dragged harmful nutrient-laden sediment into the already fragile Mar Menor, leaving unsightly brown trails of sludge along the coast.

In the early hours of this morning, when more than 15 litres per square metre of rain drowned San Javier and Los Alcázares, the floods reached the protected saltwater lagoon, washing torrents into the Mar Menor. In nearby La Manga, technicians report that up to 40 litres of rain per square meter fell.

The timing is all the more devastating for environmentalists and locals since the condition of the Mar Menor have been returning to normal for several months, thanks in no small part to the removal of thousands of tonnes of algae from its shores.

Unfortunately, there’s little good news on the horizon: the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) has issued a yellow level weather alert until at least 4pm on Friday for widespread rain that could reach more than 30 litres in an hour during the worst part of the day. Saturday has so far escaped any weather warnings, but the experts warn that it is still likely to be a wet and windy day.

See also: Mar Menor fishermen reeling over damaged nets caused during government inspections

Image: MarMenorKO / Canal Mar Menor