Week in News: Wind Storms and Wild Boars
Bon Dia! AEMET is forecasting another week of strong winds in Valencia — hopefully not as dramatic as last week.
The train drivers’ strike is going ahead from Monday through Wednesday, with the biggest impact expected mid-week. Expect delays to regional and national lines.
Extreme Weather
Strong winds disrupt the city — and more may be coming
Last week, extremely strong winds swept through Valencia, causing widespread incidents across the city and region. Gusts blew out the windows of the Taco Bell on Plaza del Ayuntamiento (Las Provincias has photos) and knocked over a large tree near Joaquín Sorolla station, triggering multiple emergency responses.
Levante-EMV has an explainer on what causes these short-lived but intense gusts of wind.
AEMET has maintained weather alerts as another storm system moves across the Iberian Peninsula, reports Las Provincias, bringing the risk of more high winds along with unusually warm temperatures.
Train Disruptions
Rail strike to affect travelers mid-week
A nationwide rail strike scheduled for Wednesday will impact both high-speed and regional rail services, with dozens of AVE trains affected. Travelers in and out of Valencia should expect cancellations and delays. Levante-EMV has details on the trains affected.
Wild boar on the metro tracks
In one of the week’s more surreal moments, a wild boar ran onto Metrovalencia tracks on lines 1 and 2, El País reports, causing significant delays as police and emergency crews attempted to capture it. The incident has renewed concerns about the growing presence of wild boar near urban areas.
Political Trends
Far-right surge in Aragon elections
Aragon’s weekend elections suggest the surge of far-right party Vox is a national trend, drawing support away from the conservative People’s Party (PP). El País breaks down the results.
Alicante housing scandal
A scandal involving PP politicians granting publicly funded luxury homes to relatives is roiling Alicante politics, writes El País. It marks the first major political challenge for Valencia’s new regional president, Juanfran Pérez Llorca, explains Valencia Plaza.
Immigration Policy and Impact
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez defended his pro-immigration policy in an opinion piece for the New York Times.
Immigration paperwork overwhelms city services
Valencia’s Ayuntamiento and consulates are struggling to keep up with applications following the national government’s mass regularization offer for irregular migrants, reports Levante-EMV. The issue is particularly acute in a city with one of Spain’s largest undocumented populations.
City News
Valencia’s traffic woes
Las Provincias has an in-depth explainer on the ongoing works along Pérez Galdós and Giorgeta, which are causing major traffic disruptions. The works are expected to continue until the end of the year.
Fewer cruise ships
There will be a decrease in the number of cruise ships arriving in Valencia this year, reports Valencia Plaza. Mayor María José Catalá has pledged to reduce megacruise traffic, which places heavy pressure on the city.
Rise in homelessness
Despite rising tourism numbers and a growing economy, Valencia has seen a sharp increase in homelessness, reports El País.
Crime & Policing
Conclusion to the murder of a Valencia clergyman
A guilty verdict was handed down to the sole suspect in the murder of a canon of Valencia Cathedral, reports Las Provincias, closing a case that exposed the exploitation of vulnerable young men within the church.
Thwarted kidnapping raises questions
Police freed two victims in Corbera in what appears to have been a failed kidnapping possibly linked to organized crime, reports Las Provincias. The motives remain unclear, and investigators are still piecing together what happened.
Culture & History
Archaeological discovery
Construction linked to rail infrastructure has revealed an ancient necropolis, writes Levante-EMV.
600 years of El Micalet
Music, bell ringing, and a commemorative mascletà marked the 600th anniversary of El Micalet. Valencia Plaza’s photos captured the celebration.
Marked for the Calendar
Fallas mascletà balcony lottery opens
Fallas is fast approaching. The ninot exhibition is already open at Les Arts. La Crida, the official start of Fallas, will take place on 22 February.
Registration is now open for the highly coveted lottery to watch the Fallas mascletà from the Ayuntamiento balcony — one of the ultimate Fallas experiences. The lottery is open until Wednesday, 11 February.
Here’s the registration link.
Author: Atika
Writer and journalist based in Valencia. She mixes hard news with creative storytelling and a dash of local curiosity. You might spot her biking through the city, chasing stories — or just a good cortado.