The Foreign Office has issued a travel warning to any Britons planning a late summer holiday to eastern Spain after record rainfall brought severe flooding to popular destinations including Alicante and Valencia.
Heavy rain, flooding and even tornados have battered the Balearic islands and Spain’s northeastern coast, with the areas around Valencia and Alicante most affected.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“We had 300 millimetres of rain. We haven’t seen that for a century,” Jorge Rodriguez, mayor of Ontinyent, told Spanish public broadcaster TVE.
The flooding has caused significant destruction and left at least two people dead. A 51-year-old woman and her 61-year-old brother were found dead inside an overturned car washed away by floodwater in Caudete, about 60 miles south of Valencia.
The extreme weather has prompted the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to issue a severe weather warning for the regions of Valencia, Alicante, Murcia and Almeria for 12 and 13 September owing to “forecasted torrential rain”.
It warns travellers that “flash floods may occur and could cause disruption and delays to transport services”, and advises any Brits who find themselves in the affected regions to follow the advice of local authorities.
The FCO has also pointed to a statement from Spain’s meteorological agency (AEMET), which this week issued an “extreme risk” weather warning after forecasts showed that the storm is expected to bring a further deluge on Friday.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez praised emergency services for their work in mitigating the effects of the flood. “Our thanks for their work and all our solidarity with the thousands of people affected by torrential rains,” he tweeted.
The flooding is the latest in a series of extreme weather events to hit Spain this year. In June, a heatwave broke national records, with some cities reaching temperatures of 43.3C.
-
The Icelandic women’s strike 50 years onIn The Spotlight The nation is ‘still no paradise’ for women, say campaigners
-
Mall World: why are people dreaming about a shopping centre?Under The Radar Thousands of strangers are dreaming about the same thing and no one sure why
-
Why scientists are attempting nuclear fusionThe Explainer Harnessing the reaction that powers the stars could offer a potentially unlimited source of carbon-free energy, and the race is hotting up
-
Spaniards seeing red over bullfightingUnder the Radar Shock resignation of top matador is latest blow in culture war over tradition that increasingly divides Spain
-
‘Hypocrisy’ and ‘blackmail’: Ryanair’s feud with SpainUnder the Radar Bitter row over rising fees sees the Irish budget airline slash a million seats on regional routes this winter
-
Destination unknown: the exciting ins and outs of mystery travelThe Week Recommends Surprise yourself the next time you vacation
-
Spain's love of sunflower seeds is wrecking its football stadiumsUnder the Radar One club controversially bans 'national vice' as discarded 'pipas' shells block drains and erode concrete
-
The Supreme Court revives a family's quest to recover looted Nazi artUnder the Radar The painting in question is currently in a Spanish museum
-
How to celebrate New Year's Eve globally without leaving homeThe Week Recommends Stock up on grapes and (safely) set a scarecrow on fire
-
La Zambra Hotel: reviving the glamour of a Spanish iconThe Week Recommends The former Byblos hotel has a boutique feel with resort-level amenities
-
Greenland is hoping to boost tourism with the Arctic's first international airportIn the Spotlight The enhanced facility is the first international airport in Greenland's capital
