Benidorm weather turned dangerous across north-eastern Spain as torrential rain and flash floods killed one person and disrupted travel in Catalonia and Valencia. Rescuers recovered the body of the man in Olivella on Thursday after his car was swept away by a stream.
Emergency services in Catalonia received more than 850 calls linked to the downpours and catalogued over 500 incidents. Flights were cancelled and roads submerged across Catalonia and Valencia, while some metro stations in Barcelona closed, buses were diverted and regional trains were disrupted.
AEMET and Barcelona
AEMET issued heavy-rain warnings across eastern regions on Wednesday and placed Barcelona's coastline red alert. At El Prat airport, flights were delayed or cancelled, and Pedro Sanchez warned of "very complicated situations" as the storms spread through Spain.
Valencia recorded more than 70mm of rain in 30 minutes in several municipalities, or 2.76in in the same period. AVAMET posted on X: "Rarely have we seen such rainfall accumulations in 30 minutes". Emergency services reported 478 incidents in Valencia province, all metro lines were suspended in Valencia, and the city's airport was shuttered for several hours.
Valencia and Catalonia
The flooding came less than two years after devastating flooding in Valencia killed more than 230 people. Spain was emerging from its hottest summer on record and an exceptionally warm start to September, yet Mediterranean storms typically hit eastern Spain in autumn.
A football match between Levante and Athletic Bilbao was postponed after the pitch became waterlogged. For people in Catalonia and Valencia, the immediate question is whether roads, rail and airport services can stay open long enough for travel to resume safely.
