The big freeze – unusually low temperatures across much of Spain

Forecast lows of -9ºC mean that 13 Spanish regions in central and northern Spain are still on yellow alert for icy conditions according to the state meteorological agency, AEMET.

Castilla y León is one of the regions where temperatures are expected to drop as low as -9ºC, especially around Ávila, Soria and Segovia, in parts of Sanabria, in León and in Burgos, with the odd area seeing the mercury drop as low as-11ºC.

It’s a similar story in La Rioja, which remains on yellow alert for lows of -9ºC across most of the region, dropping as low as -11ºC on high ground.

In the Community of Madrid lows of -4ºC are expected around the town of Henares, and lows of -6ºC in the southern and western parts of the region.

Every single province in Castilla-La Mancha, except for Ciudad Real, is on yellow alert for temperatures between -4ºC and -6ºC, and even as low as -9ºC in Parameras de Molina (Guadalajara).

In the north-eastern half of the country, the thermometers will dip as low as -6ºC in Aragón, especially in the Pyrenees, in Albarracín, in Jiloca, Gúdar and Maestrazgo.

There’s a similar forecast for Catalonia, where temperaturas as low as -6ºC are also expected in the Pre-Pyrenees, the Pyrenees and the Valle de Arán.

Similar icy temperatures are expected in Cantabria and Asturias, especially in mountainous areas like the Picos de Europa. The Pyrenees in Navarra will also see temperatures drop to -6ºC.

The only part of Galicia on yellow alert is Ourense, with -4ºC forecast in southern areas of the province.

Even the Mediterranean coast is experiencing frosts, with temperatures as low as -4ºC along the northern coastal and inland areas of Alicante province, and along southern coastal areas of the province of Valencia; Murcia will also see lows of -4ºC in north-western areas and on high ground.

Andalusia remains on yellow alert because of the cold in the provinces of Córdoba, Granada and Seville, with the mercury dropping to between -1 and -6ºC, with Guadix and Baza catching the worst of the frosts.