Severe storm in Spain: many dead in Valencia

Video: watson/emanuella kälin

The death toll continues to rise after violent storms hit much of Spain. According to preliminary information, at least 62 people died in Valencia in the Mediterranean region alone, Spanish national broadcaster RTVE said, citing authorities. According to media reports, an 88-year-old woman was also found dead in Cuenca, in the Castilla-La Mancha region.

Valencia's weather agency Aemet spoke of a “historic storm” in its preliminary assessment. Writing in Sea and Air magazine, Aimet said it was the Valencian region's worst “cold snap” (gota fría) this century, when the first waves of low Atlantic foothills brought cold, moist air over the warm This happens when the Mediterranean Sea.

Hard rescue

Rescue workers are still on duty in many places. The situation is particularly bad in the Mediterranean regions of Andalusia, Murcia and Valencia, which are very popular with holidaymakers. Streets, houses and fields were flooded in many places, and cars and trees were swept away by water masses. In some areas, residents were trapped in their homes and making emergency calls via social media, The Nation reported.

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spanish storm

Cars destroyed after storm in Valencia.

Those: Keystone/Alberto Saez

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Emergency services in the hardest-hit Mediterranean region of Valencia are working to reach the sites. José Miguel Basset of the Valencia provincial fire department told the Europapress news agency that many things could only be done by helicopter due to flooding or blocked roads.

Valencian Prime Minister Carlos Masson called on residents to move to higher ground. At least six people were also missing in the city of Albacete in the neighboring Castile-La Mancha region, according to media reports.

The area of ​​rainfall that has been widely reported for several days is expected to move northeastward today.

However, severe weather warnings remain in effect for much of the country. Weather service Aemet said the situation across Spain would not fully ease until Thursday.

golf ball sized hail

In addition to the heavy rain, there was also hail and strong winds. In the Andalusian coastal town of El Ejido, not far from Almeria, hailstorms hit particularly hard on Tuesday night, causing extensive damage to fields and hundreds of vehicles. “The hailstones were as big as golf balls,” farmer Mercedes González (46) told El Pais newspaper. “It seems like the end of the world.”

Cars are trapped by floodwaters in Valencia on Wednesday, October 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)

Cars swept away in Valencia. Image: trapezoid

In many places in southern and eastern Spain, highways and rural roads must be closed. Air and rail traffic are also affected. Many schools and universities have canceled classes. An AVE high-speed train from Malaga to Madrid derailed near the city of Alora shortly after departure due to a rock slide with 291 passengers on board. Spanish state railway company Renfe said no one was injured.

epa11688909 Es Riuet rambla View of the flooded areas of Porto Cristo after the overflow of the river, one of the consequences of DANA, which left a lot of rain in different parts of the shopping center...

Cleaning in Mallorca. Image: trapezoid

Storms have already hit Mallorca and other Balearic Islands on Monday. Although a yellow severe weather warning remains in effect for some areas, including Mallorca, the situation there has now calmed down again. (cma/sda/dpa)

Destruction after Spanish floods

Video: watson/emanuella kälin

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