A sudden winter attack caused by storm Oriana has led to transport chaos in the Madrid region. Strong wind gusts, reaching speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour, and intense snowfall forced the closure of key mountain roads and nine city parks, including the famous Retiro. Emergency services intervened nearly nine hundred times, removing fallen trees and securing damaged building elements.
The Madrid region is grappling with the destructive effects of the passage of storm Oriana, which brought hurricane-force wind gusts and heavy snowfall. The State Meteorological Agency Aemet issued an orange alert for mountain areas, where wind speeds exceed 100 km/h. By 1:00 PM, the Emergency Center 112 handled as many as 873 reports, resulting in over 200 direct interventions by the fire department. The most common reasons for calls were fallen trees, torn-off cornices, and damaged fences. Despite the large scale of destruction, medical services have not reported any fatalities or seriously injured persons so far. The Iberian Peninsula, though associated with a warm climate, regularly experiences severe weather phenomena in winter due to the clash of Atlantic and continental air masses over the high mountain ranges of Castile. Extreme weather conditions forced drastic measures in transport and tourist infrastructure. Routes M-601, M-604, and CL-601 were closed, cutting off access to popular mountain passes. In the capital itself, for safety reasons, authorities decided to close nine historical parks. Strong winds also damaged residential buildings, as seen in the town of Las Rozas, where a massive tree fell on a single-family home. Services urge caution and monitoring of current weather updates, as the dangerous conditions are expected to persist until late afternoon. <bar-chart title=