Latest news with #PenedèsRegionalHospital
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Hospital evacuated as half of Spain hit by heavy rain
Dozens of patients were forced to evacuate a hospital in Spain as the country was battered by heavy rain and flooding. At least 71 people fled Penedès Regional Hospital, south west of Barcelona, as streets across Catalonia turned to rivers following flash floods on Saturday, according to Spanish media. More than half of Spain's 50 provinces were under weather warnings over the weekend as torrential rain brought chaos to streets, businesses and holiday plans. Spain's weather forecaster AEMET issued severe storm warnings for Huesca, Teruel and Zaragoza, Barcelona, Girona, Lleida and Tarragona, and Castellón. Health minister Olga Pané told Catalan News: 'We have decided to evacuate and transfer the 71 patients to the hospitals of Sant Camil, Bellvitge, Igualada, Sant Boi, and Viladecans.' Ms Pané said the hospital's electricity supply was cut off after a wall collapsed during the torrential downpour. In Cubelles, a town 30 miles from Barcelona, a witness claimed to have seen a woman and child swept away by floodwater after they fell into the swollen Foix river. Firefighters rushed to searched the river overnight, with underwater units, helicopters and drone teams scouring the area. At least 155mm of rain fell in Barcelona on Saturday in just two or three hours, according to AEMET. In Navarra, 97mm of rainfall was recorded. Heavy rain was also recorded in Zaragoza and Girona. Footage showed vehicles trapped under murky water, with some vehicles swept away by rivers flowing down streets. One video captured cars drifting along the swollen El Cardener river after it burst its banks, while others were seen completely submerged. Spain's Military Emergency Unit (UME), a branch of the army responsible for disaster relief, was also deployed to Zaragoza to assist with emergency response efforts. Rosa Montserrat Fonoll, mayor of Cubelles, said: 'I've never seen anything like this in Cubelles'. She added that 200 cubic meters per second flowed through the town. Ms Fonoll said some residents were still without electricity or running water, and others were unable to leave their homes. At the peak of the storm, emergency services received 1,200 calls. The storm was caused by a DANA (High-level Isolated Depression). They can cause sudden shifts in weather, bringing intense rainfall and storms within minutes. Last year, a similar weather event caused devastating floods in Valencia, leading to the death of 227 people.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Hospital evacuated as half of Spain hit by heavy rain
Dozens of patients were forced to evacuate a hospital in Spain as the country was battered by heavy rain and flooding. At least 71 people fled Penedès Regional Hospital, south west of Barcelona, as streets across Catalonia turned to rivers following flash floods on Saturday, according to Spanish media. More than half of Spain's 50 provinces were under weather warnings over the weekend as torrential rain brought chaos to streets, businesses and holiday plans. Spain's weather forecaster AEMET issued severe storm warnings for Huesca, Teruel and Zaragoza, Barcelona, Girona, Lleida and Tarragona, and Castellón. Health minister Olga Pané told Catalan News: 'We have decided to evacuate and transfer the 71 patients to the hospitals of Sant Camil, Bellvitge, Igualada, Sant Boi, and Viladecans.' Ms Pané said the hospital's electricity supply was cut off after a wall collapsed during the torrential downpour. In Cubelles, a town 30 miles from Barcelona, a witness claimed to have seen a woman and child swept away by floodwater after they fell into the swollen Foix river. Firefighters rushed to searched the river overnight, with underwater units, helicopters and drone teams scouring the area. At least 155mm of rain fell in Barcelona on Saturday in just two or three hours, according to AEMET. In Navarra, 97mm of rainfall was recorded. Heavy rain was also recorded in Zaragoza and Girona. Footage showed vehicles trapped under murky water, with some vehicles swept away by rivers flowing down streets. One video captured cars drifting along the swollen El Cardener river after it burst its banks, while others were seen completely submerged. Spain's Military Emergency Unit (UME), a branch of the army responsible for disaster relief, was also deployed to Zaragoza to assist with emergency response efforts. Rosa Montserrat Fonoll, mayor of Cubelles, said: 'I've never seen anything like this in Cubelles'. She added that 200 cubic meters per second flowed through the town. Ms Fonoll said some residents were still without electricity or running water, and others were unable to leave their homes. At the peak of the storm, emergency services received 1,200 calls. The storm was caused by a DANA (High-level Isolated Depression). They can cause sudden shifts in weather, bringing intense rainfall and storms within minutes. Last year, a similar weather event caused devastating floods in Valencia, leading to the death of 227 people.
The Independent
17 hours ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Hospital evacuated as half of Spain hit by heavy rain
Dozens of patients were forced to evacuate a hospital in Spain as the country was battered by heavy rain and flooding. At least 71 people fled Penedès Regional Hospital, south west of Barcelona, as streets across Catalonia turned to rivers following flash floods on Saturday, according to Spanish media. More than half of Spain's 50 provinces were under weather warnings over the weekend as torrential rain brought chaos to streets, businesses and holiday plans. Spain's weather forecaster AEMET issued severe storm warnings for Huesca, Teruel and Zaragoza, Barcelona, Girona, Lleida and Tarragona, and Castellón. Health minister Olga Pané told Catalan News: 'We have decided to evacuate and transfer the 71 patients to the hospitals of Sant Camil, Bellvitge, Igualada, Sant Boi, and Viladecans.' Ms Pané said the hospital's electricity supply was cut off after a wall collapsed during the torrential downpour. In Cubelles, a town 30 miles from Barcelona, a witness claimed to have seen a woman and child swept away by floodwater after they fell into the swollen Foix river. Firefighters rushed to searched the river overnight, with underwater units, helicopters and drone teams scouring the area. At least 155mm of rain fell in Barcelona on Saturday in just two or three hours, according to AEMET. In Navarra, 97mm of rainfall was recorded. Heavy rain was also recorded in Zaragoza and Girona. Footage showed vehicles trapped under murky water, with some vehicles swept away by rivers flowing down streets. One video captured cars drifting along the swollen El Cardener river after it burst its banks, while others were seen completely submerged. Spain's Military Emergency Unit (UME), a branch of the army responsible for disaster relief, was also deployed to Zaragoza to assist with emergency response efforts. Rosa Montserrat Fonoll, mayor of Cubelles, said: 'I've never seen anything like this in Cubelles'. She added that 200 cubic meters per second flowed through the town. Ms Fonoll said some residents were still without electricity or running water, and others were unable to leave their homes. At the peak of the storm, emergency services received 1,200 calls. The storm was caused by a DANA (High-level Isolated Depression). They can cause sudden shifts in weather, bringing intense rainfall and storms within minutes. Last year, a similar weather event caused devastating floods in Valencia, leading to the death of 227 people.
Telegraph
a day ago
- Climate
- Telegraph
Flooded Barcelona hospital evacuated as heavy rains lash Spain
A hospital in Barcelona was forced to close because of flooding on Saturday after Spain was lashed by heavy rain. Streets turned into rivers in the Catalonian capital and other tourist spots after flash thunderstorms and high winds over the weekend. Two people were reported missing in the town of Cubelles, around 30 miles from Barcelona. A witness claims to have seen a woman and a child cross a bridge, fall into the Foix river and be swept away by floodwaters. Half of Spain's provinces were under storm warnings on Saturday, including Zaragoza, Barcelona, Girona and Tarragona. Barcelona was one of the hardest hit areas, with videos showing outdoor tables and chairs being swept away by floodwaters and cars fully submerged. Olga Pané, the Spanish health minister, said heavy rains forced the evacuation and closure of the Penedès Regional Hospital, after damage to its electrical system. Ms Pané said: 'We have decided to evacuate and transfer the 71 patients to the hospitals of Sant Camil, Bellvitge, Igualada, Sant Boi, and Viladecans.' The storm was caused by a weather phenomenon known as Dana, or isolated depression at high levels. It occurs when a mass of cold air collides with a mass of warm air over the Mediterranean Sea. According to Aemet, Spain's weather agency, Vilafranca des Penedès, south-west of Barcelona, received 155mm (six inches) of rainfall. Aemet recorded nearly 3,200 lightning strikes in Barcelona on Saturday alone. Popular tourist attractions in Barcelona, including the Tibidabo amusement park and Park Güell, were closed, while a ban was imposed on swimming at public beaches. Tourists and locals in Catalonia and Aragon were advised to stay indoors and keep away from flood-risk areas on Saturday, after Aemet placed the area under a red 'extreme risk' alert. On Sunday, emergency crews resumed their search for the two people in the town of Cubelles. Rescue workers from the fire department, Catalan police and a maritime rescue helicopter were deployed to search. Rosa Montserrat Fonoll, the town mayor, told Catalan News: 'I've never seen anything like this in Cubelles.' The flow of water reached 7,070 cubic feet per second through the town. Ms Fonoll said that some residents were still without electricity or running water, and others were unable to leave their homes. At the peak of the storm, emergency services received 1,200 calls. Train services were also disrupted, with Renfe, the national rail operator, cancelling services in Catalonia. By 7pm local time, trains had begun resuming service. A US-bound plane was forced to turn back to Barcelona after hail damaged its nose.
