WATCH: Devastating floods and torrential rain hit much of Spain
Hours of heavy rains triggered flooding in central, eastern and northern Spain on Wednesday with some coastal areas overwhelmed by flash floods that washed away cars and trees.
The storms particularly affected towns in Madrid, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Navarra and Catalonia, reported Spain's State Meteorological Agency (Aemet).
One of the worst-hit areas was Alcanar, a town 200 kilometres (160 miles) south of Barcelona, where huge torrents of fast-moving water surged through the streets, sweeping away everything in its path.
Two major roads in the area were cut off and the local train service partially suspended, with local officials urging residents to stay at home.
Més locura a les Cases d'Alcanar...@TomasMolinaB @miqalonso @StormChasersSP @severeweatherEU @spainsevere @AlcanarAJ @eltempsTV3 @alexmegapc @tiempobrasero pic.twitter.com/UWN8it80iq
— Cutxamandé (@cutxamande) September 1, 2021
Local news reported that 77 people were evacuated from their houses due to the flooding and taken to nearby hotels and sports centres.
Weather agency Meteocat reported that 252 liters of rain per square meter fell on Alcanar in just three hours, which is more than half of the rainfall for the entire year.
On Wednesday and before dawn on Thursday, heavy rain also fell in the Madrid area, Castilla La-Mancha and the northern Navarra region.
This caused severe flooding in the towns around Toledo such as Cobisa, Argés and Polán, as well as on a local motorway.
Pueblos cercanos a Toledo como Cobisa, Argés o Polán, muy afectados por la #DANA @AEMET_CLaMancha @AEMET_Esp @ElTiempoCMM @JG_Cantero @ElTiempoes pic.twitter.com/keaThOznuL
— Julián Cano (@juliancanocmt) September 1, 2021
Las inmediaciones del centro comercial Luz del Tajo, en Toledo, están inundadas.
Se pide no coger el coche y permanecer en nuestras casas para evitar situaciones problemáticas.@CMM_es @CMM_noticias @AEMET_CLaMancha @AEMET_SINOBAS @JG_Cantero pic.twitter.com/uh7GERUGvx
— El Tiempo CMM (@ElTiempoCMM) September 1, 2021
Spain's AEMET weather service has warned of a "serious risk" of flooding in central and northern parts of the country, as well as along its Mediterranean coastline, with the heavy rains expected to persist into Thursday.
AEMET Murcia has also reported heavy storms in the Murcia region on Thursday morning, around the areas of Lorca, Águilas and Mazarrón.
#Tormentas en #Lorca #Águilas #Mazarrón y en dirección al #CampodeCartagena.
Se amplía el aviso a esas zonas: https://t.co/urRt8qOl5D
Imágen #radar VIL de 09:40h con #rayos última hora. pic.twitter.com/XZGxiDaejC
— AEMET_Murcia (@AEMET_Murcia) September 2, 2021
Thirteen regions, particularly those in the north and east of the country, currently have all or part of their territory under yellow or orange warnings due to storms.
Significant rainfall is still expected across much of Catalonia, the Valencian Community, Aragón, the Balearic Islands and Navarra.
The Valencia region also experienced storms and heavy rain over the past couple of days, particularly in the northern area of the Castellón province, in the town of Vinaròs.
En la ciudad de Vinaròs ha llovido menos, pero en el extremo norte del término municipal, en el límite con Tarragona y en el sur de esta provincia, las lluvias han sido torrenciales, lo que da lugar a crecidas de ríos, ramblas y barrancos. https://t.co/mg3ID8RT4J
— AEMET_C. Valenciana (@AEMET_CValencia) September 1, 2021
Torrential rains are becoming ever more frequent in Spain, with flooding causing seven deaths in the southeast in September 2019, while another storm left 13 dead in the Balearic island of Mallorca a year earlier.
Experts say global warming has increased the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere, making episodes of intense rainfall more likely to happen, raising the risk of flooding.
READ ALSO:
- Five stats to understand why Spain’s Mar Menor is full of dead fish
- Spain sizzles in hottest temperature on record
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The storms particularly affected towns in Madrid, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Navarra and Catalonia, reported Spain's State Meteorological Agency (Aemet).
One of the worst-hit areas was Alcanar, a town 200 kilometres (160 miles) south of Barcelona, where huge torrents of fast-moving water surged through the streets, sweeping away everything in its path.
Two major roads in the area were cut off and the local train service partially suspended, with local officials urging residents to stay at home.
Més locura a les Cases d'Alcanar...@TomasMolinaB @miqalonso @StormChasersSP @severeweatherEU @spainsevere @AlcanarAJ @eltempsTV3 @alexmegapc @tiempobrasero pic.twitter.com/UWN8it80iq
— Cutxamandé (@cutxamande) September 1, 2021
Local news reported that 77 people were evacuated from their houses due to the flooding and taken to nearby hotels and sports centres.
Weather agency Meteocat reported that 252 liters of rain per square meter fell on Alcanar in just three hours, which is more than half of the rainfall for the entire year.
On Wednesday and before dawn on Thursday, heavy rain also fell in the Madrid area, Castilla La-Mancha and the northern Navarra region.
This caused severe flooding in the towns around Toledo such as Cobisa, Argés and Polán, as well as on a local motorway.
Pueblos cercanos a Toledo como Cobisa, Argés o Polán, muy afectados por la #DANA @AEMET_CLaMancha @AEMET_Esp @ElTiempoCMM @JG_Cantero @ElTiempoes pic.twitter.com/keaThOznuL
— Julián Cano (@juliancanocmt) September 1, 2021
Las inmediaciones del centro comercial Luz del Tajo, en Toledo, están inundadas.
— El Tiempo CMM (@ElTiempoCMM) September 1, 2021
Se pide no coger el coche y permanecer en nuestras casas para evitar situaciones problemáticas.@CMM_es @CMM_noticias @AEMET_CLaMancha @AEMET_SINOBAS @JG_Cantero pic.twitter.com/uh7GERUGvx
Spain's AEMET weather service has warned of a "serious risk" of flooding in central and northern parts of the country, as well as along its Mediterranean coastline, with the heavy rains expected to persist into Thursday.
AEMET Murcia has also reported heavy storms in the Murcia region on Thursday morning, around the areas of Lorca, Águilas and Mazarrón.
#Tormentas en #Lorca #Águilas #Mazarrón y en dirección al #CampodeCartagena.
— AEMET_Murcia (@AEMET_Murcia) September 2, 2021
Se amplía el aviso a esas zonas: https://t.co/urRt8qOl5D
Imágen #radar VIL de 09:40h con #rayos última hora. pic.twitter.com/XZGxiDaejC
Thirteen regions, particularly those in the north and east of the country, currently have all or part of their territory under yellow or orange warnings due to storms.
Significant rainfall is still expected across much of Catalonia, the Valencian Community, Aragón, the Balearic Islands and Navarra.
The Valencia region also experienced storms and heavy rain over the past couple of days, particularly in the northern area of the Castellón province, in the town of Vinaròs.
En la ciudad de Vinaròs ha llovido menos, pero en el extremo norte del término municipal, en el límite con Tarragona y en el sur de esta provincia, las lluvias han sido torrenciales, lo que da lugar a crecidas de ríos, ramblas y barrancos. https://t.co/mg3ID8RT4J
— AEMET_C. Valenciana (@AEMET_CValencia) September 1, 2021
Torrential rains are becoming ever more frequent in Spain, with flooding causing seven deaths in the southeast in September 2019, while another storm left 13 dead in the Balearic island of Mallorca a year earlier.
Experts say global warming has increased the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere, making episodes of intense rainfall more likely to happen, raising the risk of flooding.
READ ALSO:
- Five stats to understand why Spain’s Mar Menor is full of dead fish
- Spain sizzles in hottest temperature on record
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