In January 2021, Spain was hit by the heaviest snow storm in decades. What was its name?

Storm Filomena blanketed parts of Spain in heavy snow, with half of the country on red alert. The Spanish government told people to stay at home after three people died in the snowstorm. Storm Filomena hit Spain on Friday, January 8th, blanketing large parts of the country in snow and bringing everyday life to a halt.

The snowfall in Madrid is the heaviest in at least 40 years. The country's weather agency said the snowfall was "exceptional and most likely historic".

Madrid's airport closed along with a number of roads. Troops from the Spanish army were sent to rescue people stranded in their cars.

It was the worst winter storm to hit Spain in several decades. Spain’s interior minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska​, said 1,500 people had been rescued in the Madrid region but that 650 roads across Spain were affected by the storms. He defended the central government’s response to the emergency, and said: “We haven’t had a situation liked this for 50 years.”