At least 13 people have died after torrential rain caused flash floods in south-eastern Spain.
Destinations popular with British holidaymakers including Málaga and Valencia in south and eastern Spain as well as the Balearic Islands were among the worst affected after torrential rain and strong winds from Storm Dana battered the country on Monday.
Rescue efforts are under way and the president of the Valencia region, Carlós Mazón, said it was “impossible” to put an exact number on the final death toll at this stage.
Aemet, Spain’s national weather agency, released a special advisory notice covering mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands, and forecasters warned that the extreme weather could last through to the end of the week.
The UK’s Met Office issued a rare weather alert for parts of eastern Spain, warning tourists that “flash flooding, landslides and significant disruption” were expected this week as the country continues to face torrential rain and thunderstorms.
“A further 250-350mm of rain is possible by the weekend in a few places – the average for the whole of October is closer to 50-100mm,” the Met Office’s update read.
Álora and Cártama outside Málaga in Spain’s south were the latest regions placed on a “red” alert on Tuesday after the Guadalhorce river surged following heavy rainfall, causing cars to float away.
Winds have also exceeded hurricane thresholds of 120km on the southern coast, where waves reached as high as five metres. Authorities on Tuesday raised the weather alert to red in the region, the highest warning on the scale.
Freak weather appeared overnight with electric storms over Málaga and its surrounding towns. Some 20,000 lightning bolts were recorded throughout the coastal city, forcing flight delays and road closures throughout Tuesday.
In Valencia, in Spain’s east, locals woke up to road closures and waterlogged rail lines after heavy rain worsened the flooding. Authorities deployed a helicopter to rescue drivers stranded in the rising waterways.
Valencia’s city council issued advice to schools and nurseries on Monday to cease playground activities, and ordered the city’s parks and cemeteries to close their gates. All maritime traffic at the city’s two ports has also been stopped until weather conditions improve.
Severe storms and heavy rainfall also battered the Balearic Islands, forcing road closures and the deployment of emergency services to help locals amid the rising water.
Dramatic footage of the flooding showed vehicles being washed away and water levels rising above trees. One clip showed a river overflowing and pouring onto a bridge, preventing locals from crossing the waterway.
This is a breaking news story and is being updated.