Aftermath of a Coastal Festival Tragedy and Meteorological Clarifications
The organization behind the jellyfish festival issued a statement yesterday after learning more about the incident. An expert assessment from the State Meteorological Agency clarified the sequence of warnings and forecasts. There was no alert for strong or very strong winds on the morning of the tragedy in Cullera, where a 22 year old lost his life and about 40 people were injured when several metal structures at the enclosure collapsed. The event’s organizers and local authorities have since reviewed the long and short range forecasts issued for that period.
The meteorological agency noted that the day had only a high temperature warning. Forecasts indicating storms with the potential for hail and strong or very strong winds were not issued for the Valencia coast. Instead, such conditions were anticipated inland, north and south of Castellón and inland areas to the north and south of Valencia. The agency emphasized the virulence of the weather event, describing winds of roughly 70 to 100 kilometers per hour that affected the area that night, according to the latest update from Upgrade-EMV, a publication of the Prensa Ibérica group to which this outlet also belongs.
In addition, Civil Guard notes state that the Medusa Festival complied with all applicable regulations for events of this type. Authorities continue to review safety measures and emergency protocols to better protect attendees in future productions.