Deep freeze hits Spain with snow even in southern and Mediterranean provinces

Mountainous areas will get up to six inches (15 centimetres) of the white stuff, and four centimetres (just under two inches) is expected today and tomorrow in metropolitan zones in the north and centre of the country.

Regions facing a deep freeze include the Comunidad Valenciana, Castilla-La Mancha, La Rioja, Castilla y León, the Basque Country – except for the coastal province of Vizcaya – Madrid, Aragón, Asturias, Navarra and Cantabria, plus the provinces of Almería, Granada, Jaén, Cáceres in the western region of Extremadura, and Lugo and Ourense in north-western Galicia.

The south-western provinces of Cádiz and Huelva, as well as the coastal areas of Galicia – except the province of Ourense – and the regions of Cantabria and Asturias are on 'yellow alert' for tidal surges.

'Orange alerts' for snow have been issued by the State meteorological agency, AEMET in Cantabria, Navarra and Asturias, as well as the province of Álava in the Basque Country, ad León and Palencia in Castilla y León.

Cádiz, Huelva and Sevilla provinces are on yellow alert for gale-force winds of up to 80 kilometres per hour (50mph) and torrential rain, whilst inland and northern Catalunya – the provinces of Girona and Lleida – and the island of Mallorca are set to see exceptionally cold climates with the mercury plummeting to -6ºC tonight or in the early hours of tomorrow morning.

Rain is expected throughout the country, but may be limited to drizzle in the east of the mainland and the Balearic Islands, whilst downpours and possible thunder storms are likely in the south-west.

Only the Canary Islands, Costa del Sol, Murcia, and the provinces of Tarragona and Barcelona are expected to escape the worst of the weather, with the Canaries seeing clear skies except in the north and, at worst, scattered showers.

Day temperatures on the mainland were due to take a nosedive today and fairly strong winds may be felt across the country.