People have been left trapped in cars and streets flooded as heavy rainfall continues to batter parts of Spain amid Storm Alice.
Torrential downpours triggered flash floods across the country’s northeastern Catalonia region over the weekend, with some residents forced to evacuate and seek cover in emergency shelters.
Popular tourist hotspots in the Balearic Islands including Majorca have also been warned to expect disruption from the storm as torrents of rain continue to fall in the region. An amber weather warning remains in place on Tuesday as residents and tourists are urged to prepare for up to 50mm of rain.
There is also a yellow warning in place for storms across Majorca, Ibiza, Ampurdan, and Castellon. A map below from Spanish metereological agency Aemet shows the areas that remain under a weather warning.
The agency said in a statement: “Be prepared. Take precautions and keep up to date with the latest weather forecast. Severe damages to people and properties may occur, especially to those vulnerable or in exposed areas.”
Dramatic pictures shared online showed torrents of muddy water rushing into towns in the northeastern Tarragona province on Sunday after Aemet issued the most serious red alert.
Catalonia’s Civil Protection agency declared a state of emergency in five regions and urged residents in the Ebro Delta to stay indoors as conditions worsened, with residents evacuated in the city of Murcia. Emergency services reported receiving over 2,100 calls as they rescued people trapped in cars and opened emergency shelters.
Reports suggest no casualties have been sustained during the floods, but at least 18 people have been injured.
The rain also caused travel chaos across eastern Spain, as at least 24 flights were cancelled from late afternoon onwards at Ibiza’s airport, with power cuts affecting inside the airport. Train services between Barcelona and Valencia were suspended along the Mediterranean Corridor, while roads in several low-lying areas were closed due to the flooding.
“Because of the adverse weather conditions in Ibiza, airport operations were temporarily paralysed between 6pm and 7.20pm,” officials at Spanish airports authority AENA told local press. “During that time the runway was cleaned along with other areas that were affected by the storm.”
“The situation is complicated, and more rain is forecast,” Cristina Vicente, a senior official at the agency was quoted as saying by La Vanguardia.
Difficult conditions continued on Monday with a red alert for rain issued by the Aemet covering Valencia as the weather front continued to affect residents on the country’s eastern side.
Footage of cars floating through the water as streets were turned to rivers were posted on social media as tourists and residents were urged to stay inside.
Storm Alice is expected to move further eastwards on Wednesday, with brighter conditions expected across Spain later in the week.
