Spain is mourning the death of at least 70 people during floods that have been particularly destructive in Valencia, as well as causing chaos in Málaga, Murcia, Albacete and Cuenca.
But the stormy weather is not over yet.
On Wednesday afternoon, Catalonia’s weather agency activated the red alert – the highest weather warning – for Barcelona’s Baix Llobregat area, and the orange alert for the rest of Barcelona (Barcelonès), el Vallès Oriental, el Alt Penedès and el Garraf.
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Heavy rain and large hail are expected throughout the afternoon and night, along with strong winds and potentially tornadoes.
El Servei Meteorològic de Catalunya emet avís per temps violent (#avisosSMP)
Dc 11:58 h – 13:57 h.
Possibilitat de pedra de diàmetre > 2 cm, ratxes de vent > 25 m/s, esclafits i/o tornados o mànegues.
Grau de perill màx. 6/6 Hora local (h) = TU+1 pic.twitter.com/BxKse60TlT
— Meteocat (@meteocat) October 30, 2024
It’s already been raining a lot in Catalonia on Wednesday, while the national headlines focused on the deadly and devastating effects of the DANA phenomenon in the neighbouring Valencia region.
IN IMAGES: Valencia reels from its worst floods this century
Flight delays have been recorded at Barcelona’s El Prat airport and two stops of the L3 metro are affected by the station.
Mossos police have advised residents against using their cars, especially in the Baix Llobregat area. Drivers are also advised against using the AP7 motorway.
Although Spain’s second biggest city will be on high alert, the Civil Protection Unit doesn’t expect the torrential rain to be as intense as in Valencia, whilst stressing that “a lot of caution” is still needed.
Spain’s national weather agency Aemet has also placed the southern Andalusian province of Cádiz on red alert, with la Campiña, Sierra and Janda the parts which are most under threat.
It’s here that at least 120 litres of rainfall/sqm have been recorded over a 12-hour period and more is yet to come.
AVISO ROJO | Campiña gaditana: más de 120 l/m² en doce horas. ¡Mucha precaución en la zona! ¡No viaje salvo que sea estrictamente necesario! Precaución en zonas próximas donde permanece el aviso naranja. También en la provincia de Barcelona.
https://t.co/BLdoSsO2Qv pic.twitter.com/hie0fUKOtr — AEMET (@AEMET_Esp) October 30, 2024
It’s already been raining heavily in Cádiz and in other parts of Andalusia such as Málaga and Granada, although there are no reported deaths as in the case of Valencia.
In Jerez in Cádiz province, 57 litres per square metre were recorded in a two-hour period on Wednesday.
Huelva, Seville and Málaga have also been getting large amounts of rainfall on Wednesday.
Castilla-La Mancha, Aragón, Castilla y León, Extremadura, Navarra, La Rioja and Ceuta are also on alert for heavy rain, with Spain’s PM calling on many of the country’s 48 million inhabitants to “not let down their guard”.