Gusts exceeding forecasts caused trees to fall on Avinguda Tarragona and Salou, damaging vehicles and

Strong winds during a nationwide orange alert toppled trees onto vehicles on Avinguda Tarragona and Avinguda Salou in Andorra la Vella on Thursday morning, damaging multiple cars and a van but causing no physical injuries.

The first incident occurred around 8am on the CG-1 at Avinguda Tarragona, where a tree struck a moving car and affected a second vehicle, leading to a full closure. Commune workers, COEX teams and firefighters cleared the debris starting after 9:15am, with traffic restored by late morning.

Minutes earlier, between 7:20am and 8:30am, a large tree from private property fell onto Avinguda Salou between Estadi Comunal and the Comella roundabout, directly in front of Lycée Comte de Foix. It impacted at least three vehicles, crushing a van's roof, shattering windows and causing other material damage. The tree blocked both directions, with northbound traffic diverted via a nearby parking lot and southbound lanes closed longer. Andorra Police confirmed the damage via social media, noting no injuries. Gusts in the valley exceeded forecasts, prompting a meteorological extension of the orange alert before a midday downgrade to yellow.

The closures caused tailbacks up to five kilometres from the FEDA power plant to central Andorra la Vella, extending to Rotonda dels Dos Valires in Escaldes-Engordany. Congestion hit Avinguda Enclar, Avinguda Santa Coloma, Carrer Prat de la Creu, Carretera de l'Obac, Pont Pla and routes via Fiter and Rossell to Túnel de Sant Antoni, stranding hundreds of vehicles and buses. Additional tree falls occurred on Avinguda Enclar, while construction scaffolding swayed in the winds.

Andorra Police, firefighters, Andorra la Vella traffic services, COEX and commune teams coordinated the response, with the government's Territory and Urbanism department handling road clearance on the private-land incident, while the commune managed sidewalks and parking. Traffic fully reopened on both roads between 10:30am and 11:15am. Follow-up inspections of older trees continue amid adverse weather.

Government spokesman Guillem Casal attributed the falls to intense winds combined with recent rain and wet snow, calling it a "combination of meteorological factors." Firefighters managed a dozen calls by midday, including securing roofs and a dislodged solar panel; one driver received care for an anxiety attack.

Ski resorts limited lifts to lower slopes. Officials advised securing loose items, avoiding exposed mountain areas due to avalanche risks and monitoring updates. Andorra la Vella and Escaldes-Engordany cancelled a school carnival parade.

Avinguda Salou closed again from 21:30 to 00:00 that evening for preventive pruning after COEX teams, external contractors and commune staff assessed nearby trees, felling one with damaged roots deemed at risk. Pre-Christmas tendering since 13 December covers safety upgrades, including an elevated sidewalk; Casal said the response used internal resources without extra costs.