The Region of Murcia will suspend classes this Thursday, September 17, in 15 municipalities due to the forecast of heavy rains and storms and the activation of the orange alert from the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet).
The decision was made after a meeting between the Emergency Coordination Center and the regional president, Fernando López Miras, with the aim of avoiding risks due to the weather episode expected in the coming hours.
The suspension of educational activities affects Lorca, Puerto Lumbreras, Águilas, Aledo, Totana, Alhama de Murcia, Fuente Álamo, Mazarrón, Cartagena, La Unión, Los Alcázares, Torre Pacheco, San Javier, and San Pedro del Pinatar, in addition to the localities of Corvera, Sucina, Gea and Truyols, Valladolises, Avileses, Lobosillo, and Los Martínez del Puerto.
Up to 100 liters per square meter in 12 hours
Aemet maintains for this Thursday orange alerts for rains in different areas of the Region of Murcia. The precipitation may reach 30 liters per square meter in one hour in the Altiplano, Northwest, and Vega del Segura.
The forecast is even more intense in the Valley of Guadalentín, Lorca and Águilas, Campo de Cartagena, and Mazarrón, where up to 50 liters per square meter may accumulate in one hour and 100 liters in 12 hours.
In these last areas, there is also an orange alert for storms, which could be accompanied by strong gusts of wind and hail.
Senior centers and disability care centers also close
The preventive measures are not limited to schools. In the affected municipalities, activities will also be suspended in social centers for the elderly, day centers for the elderly, day centers and promotion of personal autonomy for people with disabilities, and early attention centers.
Given the forecasts, it is recommended to check downspouts and drains, close doors and windows, and take extra precautions during travel.
It is also requested to avoid ravines, channels, and flooded areas, especially during the moments of greatest intensity of the precipitation.