Latest news with #MilitaryEmergencyUnit
The Independent
a day ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Dozens flee hospital as flash flooding hits Spain
Torrential rain caused widespread flash flooding across Spain over the weekend, leading to chaos in multiple provinces. 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.
Metro
2 days ago
- Climate
- Metro
Two missing in Spain after storm floods Barcelona and other tourist hotspots
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Two people are missing after they are believed to have been swept away during floods in Spain. The Catalan Fire and Rescue Service said they were searching for two people who reportedly fell into the Foix river, in Cubelles, when a wooden footbridge they were crossing gave way due to the force of the flow. It comes after heavy rain hit tourist areas including Barcelona and Girona, with underground garages flooded and rail services suspended. As the UK sweltered in a heatwave, half of Spain's provinces were under weather warnings for storms yesterday, including the regions of Huesca, Teruel and Zaragoza, Barcelona, Girona, Lleida and Tarragona, and Castellón. Scores of firefighters had joined the search for the missing walkers yesterday, using a helicopter and drones, with no success as of yet. The floods come less than a year after devastating floods hit Valencia, killing over 220 people and leaving streets impassable with cars and debris piled up. More bad weather was forecast today, with the State Meteorological Agency issuing weather warnings for 25 provinces, including eight as orange cautions. Rain today was not expected to be as severe as previous days, but it will come on already waterlogged ground, with rivers already swollen. The Ebro Riverbank in Tarazona, Zaragoza, came under red alert yesterday with nearly 100mm of rainfall falling in just an hour. The impact was so severe that a Military Emergency Unit (UME)was deployed to the area to help with the clean-up operation, although no casualties were reported. Photos showed how they pumped water away from waterlogged streets, bringing special equipment to handle the flood level. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned people to 'take great caution' and called for them to avoid any unnecessary travel in ten northern and eastern regions. Acknowledging the scale of the floods, he wrote on X: 'We are closely monitoring the situation in several communities with warnings for heavy rains and storms.' The bad weather has been put down to the DANA phenomenon, which stands for 'Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos', meaning 'Isolated Depression at High Altitudes', and is often referred to as a 'cold drop'. This meteorological event happens when warm, moist air from the Mediterranean is sucked high into the atmosphere due to a cold system hitting. The resulting instability leads to the formation of intense thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, and sometimes hail. This is the same weather pattern which was blamed for the Valencia flooding, and experts say climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of such events. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video While the UK isn't affected by this specific weather pattern, last week, experts warned that London also needs to prepare for damaging floods, with thousands of people living in basements which are especially vulnerable, as freak weather events become more likely. The UK Foreign Office has not currently issued any new travel warnings for Spain after the flooding. More Trending However, it urged UK travellers: 'Check weather warnings from Spain's meteorological office (AEMET) before travel and follow the advice of the local authorities.' And, like with any country, the Foreign Office advises British nationals to stay vigilant when abroad. Read our separate article on the situation for holidaymakers here. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Elderly British tourist mugged and robbed in Majorca MORE: Last moments of man who ran towards plane and died after falling into jet engine MORE: When is the next Club World Cup and where could it be held?
Ammon
3 days ago
- Climate
- Ammon
Spain: Two missing as heavy rains hit Catalonia
Ammon News - Two people were missing Saturday after torrential rains and floods in Catalonia in northeastern Spain. Firefighters said they were searching along the banks and mouth of the Foix river for two people who went missing near the town of Cubelles, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Barcelona. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called for "great caution" and urged people to avoid unnecessary travel in 10 northern and eastern regions that were on high alert on Saturday. "We are closely monitoring the situation in several communities with warnings for heavy rains and storms," Sanchez wrote on X. The prime minister said troops from the Military Emergency Unit (UME) had already been deployed to municipalities in Aragon. Heavy rains cause travel disruption The national weather service, Aemet, said 10 centimeters (four inches) had fallen near Barcelona in a matter of hours. Catalonia and the neighboring region of Aragon were under a red "extreme risk" alert due to rains that could see up to 60 liters per square meter fall in one hour, according to Aemet. As a precautionary measure, Renfe, Spain's rail company, briefly suspended services throughout Catalonia on Saturday. In Barcelona, roads were blocked, while a hospital had to refuse patients after it flooded. A plane that took off from the city for the United States was forced to turn back after sustaining damage to its nose in a hail storm. DW
DW
3 days ago
- Climate
- DW
Spain: Two missing as heavy rains hit Catalonia – DW – 07/13/2025
Firefighters in the northeastern region were searching for two people who were reportedly swept away by floodwaters. The torrential rainfall has also disrupted transport services in and around Barcelona. Two people were missing after torrential rains and floods in Catalonia in northeastern Spain. Firefighters said they were searching along the banks and mouth of the Foix river for two people who went missing near the town of Cubelles, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Barcelona. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called for "great caution" and urged people to avoid unnecessary travel in 10 northern and eastern regions that were on high alert on Saturday. "We are closely monitoring the situation in several communities with warnings for heavy rains and storms," Sanchez wrote on X. The prime minister said troops from the Military Emergency Unit (UME) had already been deployed to municipalities in Aragon. The national weather service, Aemet, said 10 centimeters (four inches) had fallen near Barcelona in a matter of hours. Catalonia and the neighboring region of Aragon were under a red "extreme risk" alert due to rains that could see up to 60 liters per square meter fall in one hour, according to Aemet. As a precautionary measure, Renfe, Spain's rail company, briefly suspended services throughout Catalonia on Saturday. In Barcelona, roads were blocked, while a hospital had to refuse patients after it flooded. A plane that took off from the city for the United States was forced to turn back after sustaining damage to its nose in a hail storm. In October 2024, heavy rains and devastating floods in the eastern region of Valencia killed 225 people in the worst meteorological disaster in Spain in decades. That rain storm, like the one currently affecting the country, was caused by a weather phenomenon known in Spain as a "cold drop" or DANA (Isolated Depression at High Levels), in which a mass of cold air drops over the warmer waters of the Mediterranean Sea. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
The Sun
3 days ago
- Climate
- The Sun
Spain storm and HAIL warning as 100mm of rain falls in an HOUR at popular tourist hotspot leaving cars underwater
SEVERE storm and hail warnings have been issued in Spain - as 100mm of rain fell in just one hour at a holiday hotspot leaving cars submerged under water. Locals and tourists are bracing for chaos after the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) activated weather warnings for 25 provinces, eight of which are orange. 5 5 AEMET forecasted orange-level warnings on Saturday for severe storms in Huesca, Teruel and Zaragoza, Barcelona, Girona, Lleida and Tarragona, and Castellón. These regions are set to be battered by extreme rainfall and potential flash floods which could disrupt holidays and cause huge damages to neighbourhoods. The DANA storm has caused the weather agency to activate red, orange and yellow warnings across dozens of Spanish regions. The agency predicted rainfall of up to 50 litres per square metre in most of the regions in Aragon and Catalonia, which could spark local flooding and overflowing ravines. The Ebro Riverbank in Tarazona, Zaragoza province, was under red alert on Friday after it was hit with severe flooding - with nearly 100mm of rain falling in just one hour. It will remain under red alert until late on Saturday, following the extreme weather which caused urban flooding and transport disruption at the holiday hotspot. The Military Emergency Unit (UME) was deployed to several towns in Zaragoza to help relieve the damage caused by the brutal rainfall. Local rescue teams reported over 30 flood-related incidents, including fallen trees and blocked roads, but no casualties. Shocking footage showed cars being swept away under the waves as intense rainfall pummelled Spanish streets. Hailstorm was seen pelting the pavements as locals took shelter from the dangerous weather. European giants see stadium wrecked by hurricanes with roof battered and pitch flooded And streams of muddy water were seen flowing down streets while taking chairs and fences in their destructive paths. There will also be storm warnings in several other regions, including Alicante and Valencia, Ribera del Ebro in La Rioja and Iberian Rioja, and Álava, among others. Spain's national forecaster said that unstable air was moving across the north and east of the Iberian Peninsula - bringing heavy showers, thunderstorms, and in some places, torrential downpours. The worst parts of the storm will hit Catalonia, Aragon and the Valencian Community, where intense rain is likely from early Saturday. Later in the day, the storms are expected to spread to the Cantabrian coast, the Balearic Islands, and parts of central and eastern Spain, before conditions begin to clear overnight. While the rain lashes parts of the country, it will still be boiling hot in southeastern Spain, where temperatures could hit sweltering highs. Reports say Murcia, Alicante, inland Andalusia, and parts of Extremadura will see temperatures approaching or exceeding 40 degrees. The extreme heat will mark a sharp contrast to the torrential rainfall about to be seen in other parts of the country. Temperatures will then drop in much of the mainland and the Canary Islands. But winds will also pick up - especially in the Canary Islands and along the Alboran coast - potentially reaching strong to very strong levels. The storm is reportedly a DANA phenomenon, or a "cold drop". The acronym stands for "Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos," which translates to "isolated depression at high altitudes". The phenomenon occurs when more warm and moist Mediterranean air than usual is sucked high into the atmosphere after a cold system hits the country. The temperature difference between the cold air aloft and the warm surface air creates instability, leading to rapid uplift of warm, moist air and the formation of intense thunderstorms.
