Storm Ingrid dumps more than 50mm of rain on Malaga province, with more to come

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State meteorological agency Aemet has once again activated warnings for strong winds, expected along the entire coastline of the province on Saturday

Ignacio Lillo

Málaga

Thursday, 22 January 2026, 14:15

Ingrid, the umpteenth storm to hit Malaga province this cold and rainy winter, arrived on Wednesday. It has already left a strong impression, with winds and rainfall, especially in parts of Serrania de Ronda and the mountainous areas of the westernmost Costa del Sol.

Since Wednesday, strong wind has been blowing from north-west along the coast of Malaga and the Guadalhorce Valley. The airport registered a gust of 65km/h at 5am on Thursday morning.

During the afternoon and evening on Wednesday, Ingrid dumped significant ammounts of rain. According to state meteorological agency Aemet, the greatest accumulation was recorded in Alpandeire, at the top of the Serranía (51.6mm). At the same time, Malaga city was only visited by light showers.

51.5

mm were recorded on Wednesday by the Aemet rain gauge in Alpandeire

The rain gauges of the Hidrosur network also attest to the impact that Ingrid is having in the interior of Malaga province. According to these records, Los Reales de Sierra Bermeja collected 31mm; followed by Cortes de la Frontera (27); Ojén (26.5); the Guadiaro river (25); Pujerra (18); the Marbella treatment plant (15.5); Torrox (14); the La Concepción reservoir (13) and Sierra de Mijas (11).

Private rain gauge networks, under the auspices of services such as Acamet or Wunderground, also reflect positive contributions to the province's water reserves. The data, compiled by SUR weather expert José Luis Escudero, points to 33mm in Algatocin; 29mm in Estepona and Gaucín; 28.5mm in Frigiliana; 28mm in La Cala de Mijas and 22mm in Nerja.

The province's reservoirs now have more than 355 million cubic metres, almost 50% of their total capacity. The concentration in the westernmost area, however, has required that the floodgates of the La Concepción reservoir be re-opened to release water.

The irony in Malaga province is that there are large periods of drought, after which it rains so much that accumulations exceed the reservoirs' safety threshold and the floodgates need to be opened. Currently, La Concepción is at 81.6% of its capacity, with 47 million cubic metres.

More rain to come

The rainy winter in Malaga continues, with more precipitation expected over the upcoming weekend and even at the start of next week. Light rainfall is forecast for Malaga city, from 8pm on Thursday to 5am on Friday. More abundant accumulations are expected in the interior of the western part of the province.

According to Escudero, a new cold front will cross the province in the early hours of Friday. The areas where heavier rainfall is expected are Ronda, the Antequera and the Axarquia districts and the westernmost part of the province. Showers are expected to return in the afternoon and evening on Friday, although never as heavy in Malaga and the Guadalhorce Valley as in the interior of the province.

Snow at low altitudes on Saturday

Aemet has activated a yellow warning for west winds of 50 to 60km/h (force 7) and waves of up to three metres along the entire coast of Malaga.

In addition, the snow cover is expected to drop to around 800-900 metres of altitude on Saturday. If this prediction is fulfilled, a white blanket could be seen in La Maroma, El Torcal, Sierra Bermeja and even Los Montes de Málaga.

Saturday will be the coldest day of the week, with temperatures between 9C and 14C in Malaga city and a maximum of 8C in the Antequera district and other inland areas.