Parts of Spain on high alert as snow and freezing temperatures sweep the country

14 of Spain's autonomous communities face severe weather warnings as snow, high winds, freezing temperatures and massive waves along stretches of the coast sweep in on the back of a storm that has already caused the death of a snowplough operator and the disappearance of another in an avalanche in San Isidro in Asturias.

A substantial portion of the country has already been hit by snow, high winds and icy temperatures, with Cantabria and the Basque Country on orange alert because of the heavy snowfall that already caused the closure of a number of motorways to heavy traffic yesterday.

Search parties out in Asturias

The search continues for the other snowplough operator, Virgilio García, 61, buried under an avalanche in San Isidro, Asturias yesterday, after the body of his colleague, César Fernández, 53, was found. Both men were buried under the avalanche whilst trying to clear the road after a previous avalanche left five metres of snow on the road near Riofrío (altitude 1,520m). Rescuers are proceeding with extreme caution because of the continued risk of further avalanches.

Basque Country, Cantabria, Castilla & León...

In the Basque Country, nine mountain passes are closed to traffic as a result of the heavy snowfall. On a further 11, snow chains are obligatory for all vehicles. The Basque Country has seen 10cm of snow fall in the past 24 hours, with the snowline at 600m.

In Cantabria, snow has forced the closure of mountain passes in Lunada, La Sía, Estacas de Trueba, Palombera and La Matanela and chains are compulsory on a further 15 mountain roads. Another 10cm of snow are forecast for this region, with the snowline at around 700-800 metres, and snow coverage of up to 20cm in the higher central areas and the Villaverde valley.

The main roads in Navarra are now open again after the A-1 (Autovía del Norte) was closed yesterday as heavy traffic struggled with the snow conditions. All the major roads in Castilla & León have also been reopened today after snow caused numerous closures across the region yesterday. 12 secondary roads are still closed.

In La Rioja, people are being advised by the regional government not to use their cars "unless absolutely necessary", whilst Logroño city council has already spread some 25,000 kilos of salt on the roads after the heavy snowfall there.

According to the emergency services, there have already been 29 snow- and ice-related incidents in Castilla-La Mancha, over half of them in the province of Guadalajara.

Overnight lows tonight and tomorrow will stay in single figures for all of the country except the Canary Islands, and in many regions the mercury will drop below zero. Sunshine in all bar the north eastern regions will bring pleasant temperatures during the day to most of mainland Spain. The early part of the week will be fairly stable, but clouds and rain/snow will start to move in from the south from the middle of the week.