For the third day yesterday, Spain, and in particular the Valencian Community was under the icy grip of winter. Utiel recorded the coldest temperature recorded over the last 35 years in the Community, -17ºC, a drop of thirteen degrees from Saturday night when -4º was registered, and equally represented the coldest area across Spain.

As a result of the cold weather, seven roads were closed and sheets of ice were reported on another 112 minor roads in the Community; Alcoy today will close its schools due to the snowfall; a truck caused more traffic delays after it overturned in Villena, close to the site of the bus incident that cost the lives of five widows; ice on the runways at Manises represented a real danger yesterday and disrupted flights, and Montgo Mountain in Javea had a considerable amount of snow on its peak yesterday.

The cold spell is expected to last until tomorrow, when temperatures will rise, but only slightly, according to forecasters.