Winter's back: Temperatures plunge thanks to cold front from Greenland

AFTER unusually-high temperatures graced Spain during the first weekend of spring, a mass of cold air heading down from Greenland means winter is on its way back - and, in some parts of the country, has already arrived.

A multi-car pile-up on mountain roads in Asturias, leaving several drivers and passengers with minor injuries, was caused by hail on Tuesday, whilst on the Mediterranean, temperatures plummeted to around 11ºC on Sunday and Monday with two days of non-stop rain.

In the northern half of the country, maximum temperatures of around 9ºC are expected until at least this coming Sunday, and snow is forecast at altitudes of above 400 metres.

Ironically, an almost total lack of snowfall south of the Pyrénées meant several of Spain's ski resorts were unable to open until nearly January and, even then, the only white stuff on the pistes was generated by snow-making cannons - and yet, now that most of them have been closed for at least a week, they may suddenly get the snow they have been missing all winter.

This morning (Thursday), exceptionally cold temperatures were reported throughout the mainland - mostly in the northern and central parts, although also in pockets of the south.

The lowest was recorded in Puerto de Leitariegos (Asturias), at -3.2ºC, followed by Puerto de San Isidro (León province, Castilla y León), at -3.1ºC.

Daytime temperatures will hover at around 11ºC in Aragón, Asturias, Cantabria, most of Castilla y León and the Basque Country, but could reach as high as 14ºC in Cádiz and the provinces of Valencia and Alicante.

Night figures are expected to fall below freezing in northern, central and inland parts of the country, and could even fall to -4ºC in the provinces of Teruel (Aragón), Burgos and Soria (Castilla y León) and -3ºC in Ávila, Salamanca and Segovia (Castilla y León).

'Yellow' alerts have been issued by the State meteorological agency, AEMET, for snow in Asturias, Aragón, Navarra, Catalunya, Galicia, the Basque Country, Cantabria and Castilla y León.

Rain is expected across practically the whole of the mainland from Friday onwards, although this is unlikely to be torrential, except locally in the west, centre and Andalucía.

AEMET says temperatures will not start to rise again until after the weekend - until then, they are predicted to be 'considerably lower' than average for this time of year, the Met office warns.