Deadly floods hit southern Spain

Seven persons are reported to have lost their lives in the southern Spanish provinces of Malaga, Murcia and Almeria following heavy rains over the past 24 hours.

Among the dead were two children who drowned in a car in the town of Puerto Lumbreras.

The strength of the waters overturned cars, closed roads, damaged homes and forced hundreds to leave their properties.

The hardest hit areas were the provinces of Malaga and Almeria, and Murcia region.

At least 600 people had to be evacuated from their homes in Andalucia region, which contains Malaga and Almeria, officials said.

Spain's weather agency said that up to 245 litres of water per square metre had fallen on Friday morning alone.

An elderly woman died when a river broke its banks and floodwaters flowed past her home in Alora, north of Malaga.

A man was also reported to have been found dead in the south-eastern town of Vera Playa, cut off by the floods.

"In Malaga province there are 800 staff working to return things to normal as quickly as possible. The rains are decreasing and seem to be shifting towards Granada and Almeria," a regional government spokesperson said.

However, torrential rain and violent thunderstorms are predicted to continue in the south of the country during the weekend.

The heavy rains in parts of the south follow months of drought and high temperatures across Spain which triggered dozens of wildfires.