Dozens flee hospital as flash flooding hits Spain
Seventy-one patients were evacuated from Penedès Regional Hospital near Barcelona after a wall collapsed and the electricity supply was cut off due to the severe weather.
Emergency services launched a search operation in Cubelles for a woman and child reportedly swept away by floodwater in the swollen Foix river.
Barcelona recorded 155mm of rain in just a few hours on Saturday, with footage showing vehicles submerged and swept away by overflowing rivers.
The severe weather, caused by a DANA (High-level Isolated Depression), prompted 1,200 emergency calls and the deployment of Spain's Military Emergency Unit for disaster relief.
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The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
Residents evacuated from homes in Spain after heavy flooding and hailstorms
A heavy hailstorm has swept through areas of the southeast of Spain, forcing the evacuation of residents and blocking roads. In one of the worst hit towns, Caravaca de la Cruz, emergency services dealt with 82 incidents connected to hailstones, landslides and road blockages on Thursday, local authorities said. Thick layers of hail piled up on pavements and roads in the town in the Murcia region, and reached depths of 20cm in some places. Footage shared online showed residents wading through icy streets and clearing mounds of hail from their doorsteps just to get inside their homes. In the town's centre, two houses were evacuated due to the risk of collapse, with residents temporarily relocated to municipal facilities, the council said in a statement. Local reports also said up to 20 people spent the night in a municipal sports hall after flooding made it unsafe to return home. Meanwhile, local police closed traffic lanes near rivers and ramblas, which are dry stream beds that can quickly flood, to prevent accidents. Local authorities and private contractors worked to clear debris and check buildings for damage, while engineers were sent to assess properties affected by flooding and structural concerns, the council said. 'The situation is evolving favourably, but we continue to ask for maximum precaution,' the city council said, thanking residents who joined to clean up the aftermath. 📍Moratalla (Murcia) @MeteoChatSE — elmoya._ (@elmoya_07) July 24, 2025 The volume of rainfall overwhelmed the town's drainage system, leading to flooding in commercial properties and basements. Fast-flowing muddy water surged through the streets, turning roads into torrents and leaving some homes and businesses waterlogged. Cafes and restaurants quickly emptied as people took shelter. ¡Tremendo! Tal y como estaba previsto, #tormentas muy fuertes en zonas de interior (áreas montañosas) del sureste #PenínsulaIbérica. Esta tarde (24/07/2025), granizada histórica en #CaravacaDeLaCruz (#Murcia), donde se han registrado entre 40-50 l/m². Vídeo: @LaReferenciaNET. — MeteOrihuela (@MeteOrihuela) July 24, 2025 In nearby Calasparra, authorities raised the weather warning to orange for Thursday, warning of further storms between 6am and midnight. The city council suspended all planned activities for the day, including events at the municipal pool, summer schools and an outdoor cinema night, and activated its emergency plan. Meanwhile, Spain's national weather agency AEMET has issued multiple weather warnings across the northeast and south. An alert for the Barcelona coast warns of intense rainfall of up to 40mm in an hour, while other areas, including Girona and the Pyrenees, could see up to 20mm. Storm warnings also include the possibility of hailstones less than 2cm in diameter. In Cadiz, forecasters expect Levante winds to reach gusts of up to 50mph in the Strait and 44mph along the coast, with rough seas and waves up to 2 metres affecting coastal areas of Mallorca and Menorca. Residents across the region were urged to stay away from streams, avoid unnecessary travel and secure anything outside their homes that could be swept away by floodwaters.
The Sun
7 hours ago
- The Sun
Floods smash Spain resorts turning roads to rivers as huge lightning storms strike Benidorm & hail sends Brits running
THIS is the horror moment flash flooding smashes southern Spain turning roads to rivers and sending Brits running. Murcia, the region around Benidorm, has been lashed by wild weather just two weeks after thunderstorms hit the country and swept two away. 7 7 7 Lightning cracked along the beloved beach at Benidorm with Brits forced to take shelter and the holiday hotspot turning to a ghost town as folks hid. Towns southwest of the city were the hardest hit as several homes were evacuated and some 90litres of rain fell per square metre in the worst hit areas. Footage shows flooding in the streets of the idyllic towns with a torrent of water running down streets. Murky brown water rushed along the streets of Moratalla while thick sheets of golf-sized hail balls blanketed Caravaca de la Cruz and smashed the windscreens of parked cars. Basements and drains were flooded as the water moved through streets, promising locals a large cleanup operation. Cops had to move parked vehicles which were in the path of rushing water as they risked being moved into the street or swept away and damaging what they hit. The massive amount of hail froze in the streets making large piles of ice that needed to be smashed up by locals. Wind gusted along the coast with La Manga del Mar Menor reaching speeds of 34mph. Further rain is forecast for the the Altiplano, Northwest, and Vega del Segura regions, and could see 30litres per square metre in an hour. Hail measuring more than two centimetres across could fall, which combined with the rain, has lead officials to plan for more flooding. Wildfires rip across Spain turning Madrid skies ORANGE as army deployed with fears wild winds will wreak havoc today Forest fires also appear to have been lit by the lightning strikes with emergency services rushing to put them out. Temperatures plunged 10C below normal just days after the same areas had seen hot temperatures. Weather warnings were in place from 6am until midnight on Thursday but were wound down in Murcia on Friday morning. Yellow weather warnings remain in place for the southern tip of the country around Gibraltar and some in the northeast for Catalonia and Menorca. 7 7 7 The area is expecting pleasant weather over the weekend - which will be perfect for those needing to clean up and dry out. It comes just two weeks after wild weather smashed the same area with footage showing a car disappearing off a ledge. Shocking footage showed cars being swept away, including down a river and over a ledge. It comes as Cyprus has been hit by the worst wildfires in 50 years amid a 44C heatwave. The country has plunged into chaos after two people were burnt alive and more than 70 houses were destroyed. Dry hills could be seen burning as flames reached up into the sky and quickly spread through the shrub. Homes were left torched despite the best efforts of firefighters. 7
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Heatwave death sparks protests among European workers
Southern Europe is grappling with a brutal heatwave, creating perilous conditions for outdoor workers. The death of a street sweeper in Barcelona due to extreme heat has sparked protests and calls for tougher regulations from European labour unions. More than 1,000 excess deaths have been recorded in Spain during June and July, attributed to the severe heat. Despite new rules issued by Barcelona City Hall, workers claim these measures are not being implemented and they face sanctions for taking breaks. European labour organisations and the UN's International Labour Organization are advocating for a coordinated international approach to protect workers from heat stress, which they term an 'invisible killer'.
