The Spanish government today warned its citizens to brace themselves for what meteorologists have said could be a “ perfect storm”, with gale-force winds set to sweep across the Iberian peninsula.
"It is going to be a very strong storm that's going to move quickly across the country," Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba told a news conference.
The government temporarily has banned trucks from using highways in parts of the country likely to be hard-hit, including the Atlantic coast, where winds could reach 140 kmph.
High winds have already caused power cuts and the cancellation of some flights in the Canary Islands. The storm was set to hit the mainland later today.
The storm was being caused by warm air pushing from the south and colliding with cold air to the north, Spain's Meteorology Service said.