This week, the eastern coast of Spain and surrounding areas have been struck by extreme rainstorms, triggering severe flooding. The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) has issued maximum-level red alerts for some of the hardest-hit areas. Local governments have swiftly taken emergency measures, ordering large numbers of residents to shelter in place and announcing widespread school closures.
Red Alerts Expanded and Extreme Rainfall Records
On Friday, Aemet further expanded its severe weather warnings, upgrading the Campo de Cartagena and Mazarrón in the Murcia region to red alert status. Meanwhile, red alerts in southern Catalonia and the coastal areas of Castellón remained active until noon that day. Meteorological data showed rainfall reaching extremely dangerous levels: cumulative precipitation in Santa Bàrbara, Tarragona province, exceeded 290 liters per square meter, while L’Ametlla de Mar recorded an extreme 246.9 liters per square meter. In Castellón province, Alcalà de Xivert and Peñíscola saw 145.8 and 118 liters per square meter, respectively. The weather agency warned that localized rainfall could approach 300 liters within a 12-hour period, making the areas highly susceptible to secondary disasters like flash floods and mudslides.
Emergency Rescue and Shelter Orders
Faced with surging rivers and severe waterlogging, local emergency services quickly launched rescue operations. Emergency crews in Catalonia conducted multiple search and rescue missions in southern Tarragona, successfully moving 18 people trapped in flooded vehicles to safety. To minimize casualties, the Civil Protection department sent targeted mobile emergency alerts to 157,000 residents in the Montsià and Baix Ebre areas, explicitly instructing them to stay indoors and avoid going outside or entering low-lying areas such as underground garages. Intense thunderstorms and flooding also damaged power infrastructure, leaving around 2,500 households in these regions without electricity.
Traffic Disruptions and Societal Impact
The extreme rainstorms have caused widespread disruption to local daily life and commercial operations. In the education sector, 103 municipalities in the Valencia region announced full school closures, interrupting normal studies for over 410,000 students. Regarding transportation, the Spanish national railway company (Renfe) urgently suspended medium and long-distance passenger trains connecting Valencia and Catalonia, along with several commuter rail lines. In Tarragona province, 12 secondary roads, including the C-12 and C-42, were completely cut off due to severe flooding. Retail businesses were also affected, with the Consum supermarket chain announcing the temporary closure of 219 stores in the disaster areas. According to statistics, overall road traffic volume in the Valencia region plummeted by approximately 60% due to the severe weather.
Unstable Weather Systems to Persist Until the Weekend
According to Aemet’s assessment, this round of severe convective weather is unlikely to subside in the short term. In addition to the hardest-hit coastal areas, inland regions such as Madrid, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Aragon, and Extremadura have also activated yellow alerts to prepare for possible hail and destructive winds in the afternoon and evening. Meteorological experts noted that this extremely unstable weather pattern will continue until at least Sunday. By then, a new isolated high-altitude cold depression (DANA) is highly likely to form over the western Iberian Peninsula, which will cause the heavy rainfall to spread further west. Hydrological management agencies, such as the Ebro Hydrographic Confederation, have issued maximum-level flood warnings for ravines near Tortosa. Authorities strongly urge the public to closely monitor official disaster bulletins and stay well away from rivers, ravines, and areas prone to flooding.
