A 60-YEAR-OLD man has died after falling from his balcony whilst removing icicles so they did not land on passersby and cause injury, according to emergency services in the province of Ávila in Castilla y León.
In the same region, A&E departments in the province of Soria are struggling to cope with the huge influx of patients injured after slipping on ice.
Thick snow in the north and centre of the mainland continues to affect 116 roads, of which 28 have been closed.
The victim in the city of Ávila is said to have fallen from the fourth floor of his block on the C/ Cruz Roja – the tragic irony being that he lived on 'Red Cross Street', but that the paramedics who attended were too late to save him.
Soria city's Santa Bárbara hospital says it has treated 34 people in one day for injuries caused by falling on the ice and snow in streets and pavements, as temperatures of -10ºC have frozen the centre-northern region solid.
By tomorrow (Tuesday), at least 23 provinces in Spain will see the mercury plummet to similar levels, whilst in the warmest parts of the mainland, such as the east coast, temperatures have fallen into single figures – a rare occurrence, even in the depths of winter.
Whilst the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) continues to deny it failed to make sufficient provisions for the snow which left the occupants of 3,000 cars on the AP-6 motorway through Castilla y León trapped for over 18 hours, its leader has nevertheless issued advance warnings this time ahead of fresh snowfall expected overnight.
Most of Castilla y León, as well as Madrid, La Rioja, Cantabria, the province of Barcelona and the Andalucía provinces of Cádiz, Granada and Málaga are still suffering traffic problems as a result of the snow, and in Ronda (Málaga province) and nearby towns and villages, long tailbacks have been reported as drivers attempt to plough through.
Emergency services and the Civil Protection have urged anyone who cannot avoid driving over the next two days to ensure they carry snow chains and, if possible, winter tyres, plus thick clothing, blankets, food and drink, and a spare battery for their mobile phones.
'Orange' weather warnings are in place for tomorrow for the regions of Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Madrid and Aragón due to temperatures expected to fall to double figures below zero, whilst Castilla y León remains on 'orange' alert for snow, along with the northern part of the region of Extremadura and the Galicia province of Ourense.
Already, snow has prevented 13,727 pupils from going to school in Castilla y León, most of whom live in the province of Segovia, and education authorities continue to recommend parents do not send their children to class if they are likely to have difficulties getting there.
School buses have been cancelled on numerous routes in the eastern part of Castilla-La Mancha, in the provinces of Albacete, Cuenca and Guadalajara, the latter of which is expected to see some of the lowest temperatures in the country tonight and tomorrow.
In La Rioja, snow of up to 18 inches has led to mass power cuts and, although electricity board Iberdrola says most affected towns and villages now have their supply back, similar incidents in the next few days have not been ruled out.
Meanwhile, social media has filled up with snow and ice scenes from the northern half of mainland Spain – including the above photo of massive icicles taken by Twitter user Nacho Garzón (@nachogarzong).
