Hydrometeorological risk monitoring in the Region of Murcia
For this reason, together with the Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Medioambiental (IMIDA), at Vexiza we have developed a platform for monitoring and managing hydrometeorological risks, particularly in rural and coastal areas. The platform also enables the real-time dissemination of relevant information to other entities involved in emergency management.
Bringing flood risk onto the map
Floods have been one of the critical situations most present in public opinion in recent years. This is a complex phenomenon to predict and to quantify in terms of material impact, since factors such as rainfall, water flow, terrain, and urban landscape interact with one another in ways that are difficult to anticipate.
With this in mind, one of the platform’s core pillars is a new modelling tool that estimates potential flood-affected areas. It offers a fully interactive 2D and 3D representation of water depth, flow velocity, and direction, alongside numerical data on the expected hourly evolution of water flow.
This makes it possible to quickly identify on the map the areas at potentially higher risk, turning the tool into a key resource for emergency services when making evacuation decisions. It is also valuable for preventive planning: by simulating different scenarios, it becomes possible to anticipate which areas would concentrate the highest risk and design, in advance, the most appropriate measures for each of them.
Weather data from every angle
Hydrometeorological risks rarely occur in isolation: heavy rainfall, heatwaves, poor sea conditions, or prolonged drought periods affect the Region at different times of the year.
To address this, the platform brings together multiple key sources of information in a single environment. On one hand, it incorporates variables derived from the European Flood Awareness System (EFAS), which characterise flood hazards in rivers and urban areas, as well as the risk of intense rainfall. This is complemented by access to spatial representations from high-resolution weather models, with forecasts looking 48 or 72 hours ahead, along with products derived from Sentinel-2 satellite imagery, including vegetation and moisture indices covering the entire region.
In addition, by cross-referencing weather variables with data from the Region of Murcia’s road network, the platform characterises road conditions at each kilometre point, anticipating adverse situations for road safety such as frost or the risk of slippery surfaces caused by intense rainfall.
Alerts for immediate decision-making
Having all this information is not enough if it doesn’t reach the right people in time. To prevent a delayed response to situations that demand immediate action, the platform includes an automatic alert module that allows logical rules to be defined across different variables and data sources, triggering notifications to the desired group of people via email or SMS. From a centralised interface, users can review a complete history of each alert, including when it was triggered, which parameter activated it, and who received it.
This is complemented by direct integration with the SAIH network of the Segura River Basin Authority (Confederación Hidrográfica del Segura) and with stations from the Murcia Agricultural Information System (SIAM). Combined with real-time data from buoys and tide gauges, the platform provides key information for the safety and planning of nautical and leisure activities, including wave height and conditions, marine current direction, and wind intensity and direction.
All of this is delivered in a GIS format that translates data from each sensor or station into an immediate, visual reading: values displayed directly on the map, with a colour code according to risk level. In line with the map-centric approach that defines the entire platform — from the flood simulator to weather data — every layer of information is integrated within the same geospatial context, enabling rapid action.
