Storm Marta sees weather advisory for gale force winds issued for Saturday

It was far from a dry January, and now it seems like the start of February is gearing up to be just as wet. 

Storm Marta is on her way with a weather advisory in place for gale force winds for tomorrow. Heavy rain is also expected.

Across the border, Aemet has issued a yellow and amber alert. 

The bus operator that manages the La Linea to Malaga route is adapting according to road closures.

January was relentless and now six days into February we’re on our 13th storm of the season.

The Met Office told GBC we’ve already seen double the long term monthly average for February with 173mm of rainfall.

That’s equivalent to 86 soda bottles, 17 household buckets full of water or a bathtub of water falling on every square metre!

Previous years have been much drier, with 2022 seeing just 8mm in comparison. 

A weather advisory for gale force winds is in place from 1 to 10pm on Saturday.

Wind speeds will reach up to 74 kilometres per hour with knots of 80km/h or more.

Meanwhile Aemet has classed Storm Marta, expected to begin tomorrow, as a yellow and amber alert.

Earlier this week Storm Leonardo was classed as red but saw advisories rather than warnings issued on the Rock.

Between Wednesday and Thursday, storm Leonardo left many parts of southern Spain flooded. Overflowing rivers resulted in severe damage to many homes. Locals with second houses in Spain are facing devastating destruction.  

With Storm Marta now set to hit, the timeline offers very little respite for flooded areas.

There has been some damage on the Rock, but not like what we've seen in Spain. The roof of Customs at the border appeared to be a little out of sorts, and the Moorish Castle appears to have lost its flag.

Aside from the physical effects of the weather, it can have a serious impact on our moods too. 

The public Heath Director has met with the Care Agency, Gibsams, Childline and Club House about the calls they’ve been receiving.

If you’re feeling low, anxious or socially isolated then reach out to those groups. Their numbers are on our website. You can also seek the help from Gibsilver, or using the 111 GHA line.

The sun did make a brief appearance on Friday afternoon, and though the outlook for the week suggests we’re not out of the woods just yet… there’s no harm in a little optimism.

And a reminder if you're travelling into or out of Gibraltar be aware there are road diversions in place across the Campo area.