IN PICTURES: Costa del Sol pounded by strong winds and giant waves

A NUMBER of Costa del Sol beaches have suffered damage weeks before the summer tourist season is set to kick off, as Malaga province continues to be battered by 70 km/h winds and six-metre waves.

An orange weather alert  has been in place since yesterday (Thursday April 20) and will remain until Saturday morning, while a yellow alert for strong winds has been issued in Antequera, Ronda and the Guadalhorce Valley.

Some parts of the bay of Malaga were hit by an 8-metre wall of water during the worst of last night’s gales, with initial reports suggesting that the worst of the destruction occurred in Torrox, Velez-Malaga, Torremolinos, and Benalmadena.

A perimeter wall surrounding the Sacaba urbanisation in Malaga City collapsed due to the force of the waves, flooding the entire complex.

In Guadalmar, between Malaga and Torremolinos, the beach and seafront walkway were underwater early on Friday as protective barriers were breached.

Impresionante, temporal en Málaga pic.twitter.com/AFwPVA8mxO

— Salvador Salas (@borisalas) April 20, 2017

Large quantities of sand were washed away from beaches throughout the costa, and a number of beach bars were flooded, while ferry crossings to the North African Spanish enclave of Melilla are temporarily suspended.

Image Credit: @objtormentas/Twitter

Cadiz province bore the worst of the bad weather, however, with 110 km/h gusts provoking over 330 calls to emergency services and hospitalising five people.