article_detail

Torrevieja’s May Fair got off to a soggy start on Thursday May 7 after heavy rain forced organisers to cancel all of the opening day celebrations.

 

The storms sweeping across Alicante province left organisers with little choice but to call off the evening programme, including the much-anticipated fireworks display and several live performances planned as part of the fair’s opening festivities.

 

Instead of taking place on Thursday night, the fireworks have now been pushed back until Friday May 8 and will be launched during the interval of the Cuarta Cuerda concert, which is scheduled for 11pm.

 

Meanwhile, the performance by Mery Dance Academy has also been rescheduled and will now take place on Saturday May 9 at 7.30pm.

 

The miserable weather caused problems well beyond Torrevieja too, with firefighters across Alicante province dealing with a wave of flooding incidents as torrential rain battered several areas throughout the evening.

 

According to the Provincial Fire Consortium, emergency crews responded to 19 weather-related incidents from around 6.30pm onwards.

 

Most of the call-outs involved pumping floodwater out of homes, garages and basements, while firefighters also had to rescue vehicles trapped on flooded roads.

 

The worst affected areas included l'Alacantí, which recorded eight incidents, while Marina Alta and the Vega Baja each saw four interventions. Emergency services also carried out three operations in Elche.

 

Despite the chaos and flooding, the authorities say there have thankfully been no reported injuries, with all incidents so far involving material damage only.

 

The cancellations come after an already miserable day of storms across large parts of the Costa Blanca and Region of Murcia, where orange weather alerts, hail and torrential downpours caused widespread disruption.