Costa Blanca freezes in polar air blast

TEMPERATURES have crashed on the Costa Blanca, with snow forecast on higher ground.

After unusually high temperatures for this time of year last week, this week started with weather warnings from the Meteorological Agency (Aemet) for possible snow in mountain areas of the province at altitudes higher than 1,000m.

A polar air mass has caused the crash in temperatures with lows of -7.9 degrees recorded in Villena and -5.4 in Pinoso.

In Elche and Orihuela, the sudden drop in temperatures led to local police and Red Cross volunteers handing out blankets to rough sleepers at various points in the cities.