The start of the Billie Jean King Cup finals on Wednesday in Malaga was postponed after a weather warning in the wake of recent devastating floods in Spain.

Hosts Spain were due to face world number two Iga Swiatek’s Poland in the afternoon but organisers pushed the tie back to Friday morning “due to a severe weather alert issued by local and regional authorities”.

“This decision has been made based on guidance from the relevant authorities to ensure the health and safety of all participants and attendees,” said the International Tennis Federation in a statement.

Spain is braced for new storms after terrible flooding in the Valencia region at the end of October.

The country’s meteorological agency AEMET has placed parts of the Andalucia, Valencia and Catalonia regions on orange alert – the second highest level – until Thursday.

The Billie Jean King and Davis Cups, billed as the World Cup of women’s and men’s tennis respectively, are both being held in Malaga this month, with Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal playing in his last competition before he retires.