Madrid buried by snow. Silence takes over the capital of Spain
Since yesterday, Friday, at 12:00 noon, it has not stopped snowing heavily. You have to be careful, the snow in Madrid reaches a layer of more than 50 centimetres.
Madrid has become a silent and dangerous city. There have already been accidents due to the breaking of tree branches and the falling of snow and ice from roofs. The few people who venture out into the streets do so by walking down the centre of the roads as there are no cars.
In the houses when you open the windows, everything is silent. You realise how noisy the vehicles are in the city. It is still snowing, but the authorities announce that the state weather agency is changing from a red to an orange alert. It will stop snowing in the next few hours.
Yesterday hundreds of people were trapped in their vehicles and many people close to these cars helped them with hot drinks and blankets. The scenes of solidarity that were repeated for many hours. There are still people trapped in their vehicles.
The emergency services are working at full capacity and the army has been asked to help. The Military Emergency Unit is collaborating.
Mayor José Luis Martínez Almeida recommends that citizens do not leave their homes. This situation in Madrid has never occurred before and the city is not prepared to deal with the problems caused by the so-called "snow of the century". As the hours go by, people are encouraging each other to go out and enjoy the snow and experience a weather situation that is not likely to be repeated for many years.
There have also been very curious situations such as people skiing all over the city and in emblematic places such as Puerta de Alcalá or the Plaza de Toros de las Ventas. WhatsApp has not stopped exchanging photos and videos. In the Hortaleza neighbourhood a man with a sledge with five dogs could be seen.
The M-30 ring road is getting crowded with people walking. As there are no cars, this motorway is perfect for enjoying the snow, without danger as there are no trees or buildings.
It will take several days for the city to recover its normalcy. Until then you have to be very careful. Ice and snow can cause trees and roofs to fall. At the moment cars cannot be used.