The remains of a Roman aqueduct dating back to the 1st century have been uncovered in the southern Spanish city of Cadiz in the wake of Storm Emma.

Hundreds of vehicles, yachts and seaside properties were damaged when the storm hit hard along the coast of southern Andalucia late last week, even whipping up a tornado in Puerto de Santa María.

But once the winds died down, the removal of several feet of sand from Cádiz’s Cortadura beach revealed extraordinary archaeological treasures.

As well as the fragments of the Roman aqueduct were remains of road dating back to the 16th-17th century which was destroyed by a tsunami in 1755.

“We were alerted to the presence of these remains, and to the fact that people were digging in the area, so we went there, warned people to stop what they were doing, and called city officials,” Moisés Camacho, president of the Association for the Investigation and Dissemination of Cádiz’s Heritage (Adip), told the Spanish newspaper El País.