Cyclone Ana sweeps across Spain

Winds reached speeds in excess of 140km/h with the strongest gusts felt in the northwestern region of Galicia.

Flights were rerouted from both Bilbao and Vigo in the north and as far south as Seville while cancellations were experienced at airports across Spain as bad weather gripped northern Europe.

Even Cadiz in the south of Spain was hit by abnormally strong winds and torrential rain with emergency services saying that they had received more than 100 calls reporting obstacles such as fallen trees blocking roads.

The storm reached its peak on Sunday night but the bad weather was expected to continue on Monday.

Yellow and amber alerts were issued for high winds across much of Spain on Monday morning and for stormy seas in coastal areas including around Ibiza and Formentera in the Balearic Islands, while ferry crossings were suspended between Ceuta and the port of Algeciras.

Ski stations were closed both in Sierra Nevada and the Pyrenees due to the high winds which brought a blanket of snow to mountainous areas.