Alicante province shivers as temperatures plummet

DESPITE the recent blast of Siberian air, electricity and gas consumption did not shoot up in Alicante province.

Temperatures fell below freezing inland at night, registering seven below zero in the Font Roja national park near Alcoy, where the local Red Cross opened the municipal shelter at 7.30pm each day instead of the usual 9.30pm. In Villena, more Red Cross volunteers went round the streets distributing blankets, food and hot drinks amongst the homeless.

On the coast, snow was seen on Montgo between Denia and Javea for the first time since 2009 and Bernia behind Altea had a short-lived dusting of snow.

Nevertheless, power consumption did not rise to anywhere near the records registered during the cold spell of February 2012. Levels remained much the same as usual according to energy suppliers, who said consumption in the province’s households has fallen by an average 10 per cent this winter.