Heavy rains in the country's southwest cut off road, rail and air access to the city of Jerez, AP quoted authorities as saying today. Airport authority AENA said Jerez airport had to temporarily close due to flooding that affected the runway and flooded the terminal building's basement, party knocking out electrical systems. It said 24 scheduled flights were canceled, but that some flights were now able to take off. The Development Ministry said the AP-4 highway linking the city and the surrounding sherry winemaking region to the rest of the country would also remain closed until floodwaters receded. Several submerged vehicles had to be removed from the highway, the ministry said in a statement. Police services said they were using inflatable boats to check areas where floodwaters on the highway were 2 meters (6.5 feet) deep. Spain's railway authority Renfe said rail lines to Jerez and the port city of Cadiz were unusable due to flooding. More than 1,500 rail users had been affected by delays or detours, it said. Southern Spain has been hard hit by one of the coldest and wettest winters in years.
