Streets turned into raging rivers and even an express train derailed, as the TV station RTVE and other media reported. There were initially no casualties, but a truck driver is missing in Valencia. The situation was particularly bad in the Mediterranean regions of Andalusia, Murcia and Valencia, which are very popular with holidaymakers.
180 liters of rain within 12 hours
In many places, streets, houses and fields were flooded. Farmers in particular report major damage. The storm was accompanied by a lot of rain, but also partly by hail and squalls with speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour, as the weather service Aemet announced. Within around twelve hours, up to 180 liters of water fell from the sky in some areas. In nine of the country’s 17 autonomous communities, severe weather warnings of levels three (yellow), two (orange) or one (red) were in effect at least until the evening.
Videos published by the media and online show how vehicles and trees were swept away like toys by the masses of water. In the Andalusian coastal town of El Ejido, not far from Almería, where the hail had struck particularly heavily on Tuesday night, fields and hundreds of vehicles were badly damaged. “The hailstones were as big as golf balls,” said farmer Mercedes González (46) to the newspaper “El País”. “It seemed like the end of the world.”
Motorways and country roads closed
In many places in the south and east of Spain, motorways and country roads had to be closed. Air and rail traffic was also affected. Classes were canceled at numerous schools and universities. Due to a rock slide, an AVE high-speed train traveling from Málaga to Madrid with 291 passengers on board came off the tracks near the municipality of Álora shortly after the start of the journey. The Spanish railway company Renfe said there were no injuries.
The storm with heavy rain had already hit Mallorca and the other Balearic islands on Monday. The situation there has now calmed down again, although the yellow severe weather warning was still in effect for some areas – including Mallorca. According to Aemet, the situation across Spain should not completely ease again until Thursday.
