A WINTER WONDERLAND

After the generally mild winter we've enjoyed so far, the sudden change was a nasty surprise. One day it was sunny and fairly warm and the next day, more than half the country was snowed under. Barcelona's beaches were covered in snow right to the water's edge, something that hadn't been seen for 25 years. Snow soon turned into heavy rain and high winds in Catalonia and the Balearics, but it continued to fall heavily in the northern regions of Asturias, Cantabria, the Basque Country, Castilla-Leon, Navarra, La Rioja, Aragon, Madrdi,, Castilla-La Mancha and Valencia. It was generally rainy and windy throughout Andalucia and the Canary Islands. Rain and mist caused several traffic accidents in Granada in which one woman was killed and three others were injured, while the snow kept most vehicles off the roads in the north. The weather forecasters say rain will take over from snow in Spain as the cold front moves steadily eastwards and temperatures are expected to stay low.