Spain clears up after winter storm kills four, causes power cuts

At least four people have been killed since Sunday after Storm Gloria swept over parts of Spain with gale-force winds, heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures. 

Seaside towns across eastern Spain, from Torrevieja in the south of the Valencia region to Castellon in the north, are counting the cost of the damage caused by massive waves pounding the shore during the powerful winter storm.

Gloria battered the country for a third day on Tuesday, destroying promenades, spreading dead fish across beaches and leaving large areas under a blanket of snow.

The heavy snow cut electricity supplies to hundreds of thousands of people in the northeast province of Girona.

Huge waves were seen hitting Barcelona Olympic port, while snowstorms blocked roads and highways in the cities of Teruel and Zaragoza.

More than 30 provinces were put on red weather alerts due to the storm, with Valencia on the Mediterranean coast and the Balearic Islands bearing the brunt of it on Monday.

Ocean foam on Tuesday covered the streets of the seaside town Tossa de Mar, in Catalonia, after Gloria caused high waves and seawater agitation, which can cause the creation of foam.

Waves were seen crashing over Tossa de Mar’s beach, with floodwater moving past shoreline restaurants and businesses into the old town centre.

Authorities in Tossa de Mar described the situation as complicated, but said the foam did not pose an immediate threat to people. The owner of a waterfront restaurant that experienced flooding described the situation as a disaster.

Gloria is now affecting coastal areas of southern France with heavy rain and powerful winds.