Heavy rains caused by a cold front sweeping across southeastern Spain led to flooding in various areas on Tuesday, prompting authorities to advise citizens to stay home and avoid unnecessary travel.
Spain’s state weather agency, AEMET, issued a red alert in the eastern Valencia region and the second-highest level of alert in parts of Andalusia in the south. In Andalusia, a train derailed due to the intense rainfall, although thankfully no injuries were reported.
Footage showed firefighters rescuing stranded drivers in the Valencian town of Alzira, as well as flooded streets with cars stuck in the water.
Experts warn that extreme weather events are becoming more frequent as a result of climate change. Meteorologists attribute the severity of torrential rains to the warming of the Mediterranean, which increases water evaporation.
AEMET predicted that Valencia would bear the brunt of the storm, with forecasts of over 90 mm (3.5 inches) of rain in less than an hour, or 180 mm in under 12 hours.
Schools, courthouses, and other essential services were suspended in Carlet and some neighboring towns in the Valencia region.
Local emergency services called in the UME, a military unit specialized in rescue operations, in the Utiel-Requena area, where the storm was causing significant damage to crops, according to the farmers’ association ASAJA.
The storm initially hit Andalusia. In El Ejido, a city known for its extensive greenhouses, a hailstorm shattered hundreds of car windshields, flooded streets, and damaged the predominantly plastic greenhouse structures.
In Alora, also in Andalusia, the Guadalorce river overflowed, leading to the rescue of 14 individuals by firefighters. Alora recorded the highest rainfall on Tuesday with 160 mm.