Elche garage drug den busted: 895g of cocaine seized

Today's essentials (5 key points)

• National Police dismantled a garage-based cocaine operation in Elche and arrested a 65-year-old man, seizing 895 grams of cocaine along with cash and precision scales, according to elperiodic.com.
• Open-Meteo forecasts a hot, dry Saturday across the Costa Blanca, with 31C in Alicante city and up to 32C on the coast at Benidorm.
• Transport minister Oscar Puente has rejected building a second runway at Alicante-Elche airport, arguing the site needs a new terminal and boarding fingers instead, TodoAlicante reports.
• The COAMBCV environmental college has filed formal objections to the Monnegre river Green Corridor project while its public consultation phase remains open, according to elperiodic.com.
• AEMET has warned of extreme heat reaching up to 43C in Alicante province, though forecasters say some relief is on the way, the Olive Press reports.

Today's essentials

Elche garage drug den busted: 895g of cocaine seized. National Police dismantled a cocaine selling point operating out of a home garage in Elche and arrested a 65-year-old man, seizing 895 grams of cocaine, 6 grams of hashish, 170 euros in small notes and a set of precision scales, after neighbours complained about a constant stream of visitors, according to elperiodic.com.

Weather today

Today's weather on the Costa Blanca. Expect a hot, dry Saturday 22 August with no rain anywhere on the coast, ranging from 24C to 31C in Alicante city under overcast skies, according to Open-Meteo.

In Alicante city, Open-Meteo puts the low at 24C and the high at 31C with a cloudy sky, no rain and a light breeze reaching 19 km/h, so it will feel muggy rather than scorching: keep water handy and stay in the shade over the middle of the day.

Inland, Ibi stays cooler with 17C at dawn and 29C by afternoon, though morning fog is likely, so drivers heading into the interior should take it slowly early on. On the southern coast, Benidorm is the warmest spot at 23C to 32C with a few clouds and a fresher onshore wind up to 22 km/h, ideal for an early beach start before the crowds arrive.

Transport & traffic

• Alicante airport passed 12 million passengers. Alicante-Elche airport handled its twelve millionth passenger of the year back in 2016, a milestone AlicanteOut cites as proof of the Costa Blanca's tourism strength. For residents, that scale of traffic is a double-edged sword: it means strong connectivity, more direct routes home and cheaper off-season flights, but also packed terminals and long security queues at the height of summer. If you are flying in August, budget extra time and, where possible, pick early-morning or midweek departures to dodge the worst of the crush.
• Puente rules out a second airport runway. Spain's transport minister, Oscar Puente, has rejected the idea of a second runway at Alicante-Elche airport, saying it makes no sense and that the priority is a new terminal and additional boarding fingers, TodoAlicante reports. The signal for travellers is that future growth at the airport is expected to come from expanding and modernising the terminal rather than adding runway capacity. In practice, that points to more boarding gates and jet bridges to cut waiting on the tarmac, though any building work would take years and could mean disruption around the terminal in the meantime.

What's changing for you

• Objections filed on the Monnegre Green Corridor. The Valencian Region's college of environmental scientists (COAMBCV) has lodged formal objections to Phase 1 of the Monnegre river Green Corridor project, filing them within the official public consultation period, according to elperiodic.com. Because the project is in its public information phase, the consultation is open to more than just professional bodies: residents and local associations can also submit their own written comments while the window lasts. If you live near the Monnegre and care how the corridor is designed, this is the moment to read the plans and put any concerns on the record, before the design is finalised.

Local news to know

• Huge branch falls in Denia, nobody hurt. La Marina Plaza reports that a branch of remarkable size crashed down on Marques de Campo in Denia without hurting anyone, and that crews had to cut the trunk into pieces before they could haul it away.
• An Alicante 'Kurios' artist comes home. A performer from Alicante now touring with Cirque du Soleil's 'Kurios' has returned to his home city to perform just metres from where his life began, TodoAlicante reports.
• The best day trips by boat from Alicante. AlicanteOut has rounded up the best destinations you can reach by boat from Alicante, a reminder that one perk of living here is easy access to the Mediterranean's coves and islands.
• AEMET warns of heat up to 43C. The State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) has warned of very adverse conditions and extreme heat reaching up to 43C in Alicante province, while noting that an end to the heatwave is in sight, according to the Olive Press.

Tonight and tomorrow, the Costa Blanca

• Benidorm's weekend line-up, 21 to 23 August. Benidorm rounds off another August weekend with a mix of symphonic music and electronic nights on offer through Sunday 23 August, according to Life in Benidorm. With the programme spanning classical concerts and club sets, there is something for both early evenings and late nights right through the weekend.

See the full agenda, tonight and tomorrow