Summary of the day
At least 73 people are now reported to have died after torrential rain battered eastern and southern Spain on Tuesday, bringing flash floods that raged through towns and cut off roads and railway lines.
Government officials have said that the exact number of missing people remains unknown. “The fact that we can’t give a number of the missing persons indicates the magnitude of the tragedy,” said Spain’s minister of territory policies, Ángel Víctor Torres
Spain has declared three days of mourning, beginning Thursday.
Rescuers continue to scour the devastated areas but Carlos Mazón, the regional leader of Valencia, said some areas remain “absolutely impossible” to reach.
The defence minister, Margarita Robles, said 1,000 soldiers have been deployed to help with emergency efforts. She also offered mobile morgues, suggesting that officials believe more bodies could be trapped in the mud and in houses.
While the rain has subsided in Valencia, weather officials have said parts of Catalonia and western Andalusia remain under maximum alert.
Spain’s state weather agency has described the rainfall in parts of the country as “extraordinary,” with the small town of Chiva receiving practically as much rain as would be seen in a full year.
The German government has offered its help to Spain, with a spokesperson adding they were in direct contact with Madrid should they need any assistance
Climate scientists have warned that torrential rains are set to strengthen as the planet continues to heat up.
The gratitude that greeted Tuesday’s dawn downpours was short-lived in Utiel. When the longed-for rains finally reached the town in the drought-stricken eastern Spanish region of Valencia, they were merciless in their abundance.
“People were very happy at first because they’d been praying for rain as their lands needed water,” said Remedios, who owns a bar in Utiel. “But by 12 o’clock, this storm had really hit and we were all pretty terrified.”
Trapped in the bar, she and a handful of her customers could only sit and watch as Spain’s worst flooding in almost 30 years caused the Magro River to overflow its banks, trapping some residents in their homes and sending cars and rubbish bins surging through the streets on muddy flood waters.
At least 120,000 people are without phone service in the Valencia region, Enrique Blanco of telecoms group Telefónica has told El País.
Other sources told the newspaper that the number of people without service could be as high as 200,000, given that other major phone operators in the region were also knocked out by the flash floods.
Residents of Chiva, a small town on the outskirts of Valencia, can expect a grim future of worsening drought as the planet heats up and the country dries out. But on Tuesday, they also witnessed a year’s worth of rainfall in a matter of hours.
The torrential rains that flooded southern and eastern Spain on Tuesday night, ripping away bridges and tearing through towns, have killed 64 people and counting. Fossil fuel pollution plays a role in warping both extremes of the water cycle: heat evaporates water, leaving people and plants parched, but hot air can hold more moisture, increasing the potential for catastrophic downpours.
The leader of the region of Andalusia, Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, has said that a 71-year-old man died in the floods, bringing the number of confirmed victims up to 73 people.
Moreno Bonilla did not offer further details, saying instead that the full impact of the storm was still to be determined.
Updated
'I'm here by a miracle,' says man caught in flash flood outside Valencia
Newspaper El País has spoken to Roberto, a 53-year-old who said he was driving last night near Xirivella, a municipality on the outskirts of Valencia, when the flash flood hit.
Cars started to stop, some turned around in the wrong direction, and we eventually came to a stop. The water started to rise and we climbed onto the hood of the car. We held on for more than four hours.
“And at almost 1 am we started walking home along the median. There were no lights, no police, no nothing. It was like a movie. The water was pouring down the road and we were two lanes away from the ramp that goes down to the river. I was panicked … I’m here by miracle.”
Updated
As we reported earlier, Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has addressed the nation, offering his condolences to those who have lost loved ones in the tragedy.
He added:
For those who at this moment are still looking for their loved ones, the whole of Spain weeps with you.”
My colleagues have put together this video with Sánchez’s remarks:
What we know so far:
At least 72 people are now reported to have died after torrential rain battered eastern and southern Spain on Tuesday, bringing flash floods that raged through towns and cut off roads and railway lines.
Spain has declared three days of mourning, beginning tomorrow.
Rescuers continue to scour the floodwaters but Carlos Mazón, the regional leader of Valencia, said some areas remain “absolutely impossible” to reach.
Government officials have said that the exact number of missing people remains unknown. “The fact that we can’t give a number of the missing persons indicates the magnitude of the tragedy,” said Spain’s minister of territory policies, Ángel Víctor Torres.
While the rain has subsided in Valencia, weather officials have said parts of Catalonia and western Andalusia have been placed under maximum alert.
Spain’s state weather agency has described the rainfall in parts of the country as “extraordinary,” with the small town of Chiva receiving practically as much rain as would be seen in a full year.
The German government has offered its help to Spain, with a spokesperson adding they were in direct contact with Madrid should they need any assistance
Climate scientists have warned that torrential rains are set to strengthen as the planet continues to heat up.
Emergency services continue to comb parts of eastern and southern Spain as government officials say that the exact number of missing people remains unknown.
Here are the latest photos coming to us from the wires:
Weather agency warns western Andalusia to brace for rain
Spain’s state weather agency has raised the level of alert for western Andalusia, warning of “intense rains” in the area.
Previously it had issued an amber alert for the area around Jerez, a city in Spain’s south.
On Wednesday afternoon, the country’s environment ministry said that the area was now under a red alert. “That is the maximum level,” it noted on social media, describing the risk of danger as “extreme.”
Videos posted on social media showed people struggling to make their way through the city’s streets as they battled a deluge of rushing, mud-coloured water.
⭕Imágenes de Jerez, donde el agua comienza a circular con fuerza por las calles https://t.co/Ef0GpJ07Dk pic.twitter.com/rZKY5LXgCi
— RTVE Noticias (@rtvenoticias) October 30, 2024
Updated
Exact number of missing people remains unknown
Hours after parts of Spain were battered by torrential rains, rescue workers continue to frantically comb the devastated areas.
“We are facing a very difficult situation,” said Spain’s minister of territory policies, Ángel Víctor Torres. “The fact that we can’t give a number of the missing persons indicates the magnitude of the tragedy.”
The country’s defence minister, Margarita Robles, said more than 1,000 troops backed by helicopters were being deployed in the face of “an unprecedented phenomenon”.
Videos posted to social media showed police and rescue services using helicopters to lift people from their homes and rubber rafts to reach drivers stranded on top of cars.
Updated
Mayor in Valencia describes scene as 'Dantesque'
The mayor of a small town in the region of Valencia has described the situation in her municipality as “Dantesque,” saying she had never seen anything like it in her life.
“This is a disaster,” Consuelo Tarazona, the mayor of Horno de Alcedo, told broadcaster RTVE.
“The whole town is flooded. Cars have been swept away, there’s a lorry in the middle of the highway. Walls have fallen, fences have fallen, everything has fallen.”
While nobody in her town of 1,300 had died or gone missing, “we went through a rough time,” she said.
“Firefighters were rescuing people from the water; families who were up to their necks in water,” she said. “The firefighters had to travel by dinghy, they couldn’t get through (the water) with their trucks.”
Though the rain had subsided, the municipality continued to reel from the consequences of the storm, she said.
“We still have a lot of water, we can’t get through,” she said. “We just had a fire in a paint factory and we’re dealing with toxic smoke … we received the emergency warning but never expected anything like this.”
Updated
Local officials across Spain have warned residents to heed only official channels amid concerns about misinformation circulating on social media.
Carlos Mazón, the leader of the Valencia region, said Wednesday that hoaxes had circulated about further flooding and evacuation orders being issued for municipalities He urged people to consult “only official channels.”
The city of Valencia also resorted to issuing a statement after misinformation on social media saw supermarket shelves quickly emptied of bottled water. “Drinking water is guaranteed in the city of Valencia and meets public health requirements. There have also been no cuts in the city’s network,” the statement noted.
The municipality of Manises in Valencia issued a direct appeal to residents. “Please do not spread false information,” it noted on social media.
Portugal’s prime minister, Luís Montenegro, has said the country remains ready to provide Spain with whatever help may be needed.
“The Portuguese government expresses its strongest condolences over the high number of flood victims in Spain, shows solidarity with all the Spanish people and the government and makes itself available for all necessary help,” he said on social media.
O governo português expressa o maior pesar pelo elevado número de vítimas das inundações registados em Espanha, mostra solidariedade a todo o povo espanhol e ao @desdelamoncloa e disponibiliza-se para toda a ajuda necessária. @sanchezcastejon
— Luís Montenegro (@LMontenegropm) October 30, 2024
Number of people confirmed dead rises to at least 72
The number of fatalities has risen to at least 72 people, government sources have told newspaper El País.
Several people remain missing. Rescue operations continue across southern and eastern Spain but have been hindered by downed power lines that have cut off electricity as well as collapsed phone networks and roads that remain impassable.
Updated
Weather agency warns of strong rains in Spain's northeast
AEMET, Spain’s state weather agency, has said that it expects the intense rains in Valencia to subside today, but noted that parts of the region remain under alert.
The storm, however, was headed north, prompting warnings for the northeastern region of Catalonia. Heavy rainfall was also expected in parts of southern Spain.
“Caution in the northeast of the peninsula and western Andalusia: very heavy showers may occur,” the agency wrote on social media.
Las lluvias intensas remiten este miércoles de la provincia de Valencia, pero todavía hasta las 14:00 horas hay aviso naranja en el interior de Castellón.
— AEMET (@AEMET_Esp) October 30, 2024
Precaución en el nordeste peninsular y Andalucía occidental: se podrán producir chubascos muy fuertes.
¡Mantente informado! pic.twitter.com/aDEOGWojrS
Spain declares three days of mourning
The Spanish government has declared three days of mourning, starting tomorrow, Ángel Víctor Torres, the minister responsible for territorial policy has told reporters.
At least 64 people have died following the flash floods and several others remain missing.
More pictures are coming in to us now from flood-hit Valencia – as the clean-up starts. Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez has told those affected to remain ‘on their guard’
Updated
Today’s flash floods are reported to have been the worst to have affected Spain since 1996.
Back then, 87 people died when torrential rain hit an area in a town in the Pyrenees mountains.
As we reported in our post earlier at 11.38GMT, climate scientists have warned torrential rains are set to get stronger as the planet heats up.
Ernesto Rodríguez Camino, senior state meteorologist and member of Spanish Meteorological Association, said: “These types of intense and exceptional, rare rainfall events are going to become more frequent and more intense and, therefore, destructive.”
Updated
Spain floods: What we know so far
At least 64 people are now reported to have died after torrential rain battered eastern and southern Spain on Tuesday, bringing flash floods that raged through towns and cut off roads and railway lines. At least 62 people died in Valencia while two were killed in the central region of Castilla La Mancha.
Rescuers continue to scour the floodwaters but Carlos Mazon, the regional leader of Valencia, said some areas remain “absolutely impossible” to reach.
Spain’s state weather agency has described the rainfall in parts of the country as “extraordinary,” with the small town of Chiva receiving practically as much rain as would be seen in a full year.
The German government has offered its help to Spain, with a spokesperson adding they were in direct contact with Madrid should they need any assistance
Climate scientists have warned that torrential rains are set to strengthen as the planet continues to heat up.
Updated
As we reported earlier, the EU has offered support to Spain.
In a post on social media, Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the EU Commission noted that “Europe is ready to help.”
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, she reiterated the message, adding that the EU’s thoughts were with the victims of the floods as well as the rescue teams working frantically to locate the missing.
She added:
What we are seeing is devastating; entire villages are covered with mud, people seeking refuge on trees and cars swept away by the fury of the waters.”
Updated
Death toll climbs to 64
Emergency services in the eastern region of Valencia have confirmed the deaths of 62 people, while the central government office in the Castilla-La Mancha region said two people had been killed.
Several people remain missing across the country.
Relatives continue to frantically search for their loved ones
Social media and television outlets across Spain have been filled with appeals as people scramble to track down loved ones who remain missing.
Leonardo Enrique told broadcaster RTVE that his family had last spoken to his 40-year-old son on Tuesday around 7pm. His son had been driving a delivery van near the industrial town of Ribarroja, and had sent a message saying that it was raining heavily.
In a second message, he said his van was flooding and that he had been hit by another vehicle. “We haven’t heard anything,” Enrique said. “He’s not answering his phone.”
As the rain begins to subside in Valencia, details have continued to emerge about the storm’s powerful impact across the region.
Along with extraordinary amounts of rainfall, the storm gave rise to a freak hailstorm, punching holes in car windows and greenhouses, as well as a tornado.
Residents have described how the deluge of rain swiftly mixed with mud and refuse, making streets unrecognisable.
“The neighbourhood is destroyed, all the cars are on top of each other, it’s literally smashed up,” Christian Viena, a bar owner in the Valencian village of Barrio de la Torre, told the Associated Press news agency.
“Everything is a total wreck, everything is ready to be thrown away. The mud is almost 30 centimetres deep.”
Updated
The Guardian’s Community team would like to hear from people in Spain about the impact of the flooding. Have you been affected by the recent flooding? How are you coping?
Spain’s state weather agency has described the rainfall in parts of the country as “extraordinary”
In the area between municipalities such as Utiel and Chiva, more than 300 litres fell per square metre, the agency said on social media.
Chiva, a small town that is home to 17,000 people, was particularly hard hit, with 491 litres falling per square metre. “Practically as much rain as would be seen in a full year,” the agency noted.
⛈️Lluvias registradas el 29 de octubre.
— AEMET (@AEMET_Esp) October 30, 2024
Acumulaciones extraordinarias en la provincia de Valencia: se llegaron a superar 300 l/m² en la zona entre Utiel y Chiva.
En Chiva, de hecho, se recogieron 491 l/m² en solo ocho horas: prácticamente lo que puede llover en un año completo. pic.twitter.com/3a3Z5flP8i
Map shows areas affected by flash floods in Spain
Updated
The mayor of the small town of Utiel, in the Valencia region, has said emergency services were still scrambling to track down several people who are missing in his town.
“Yesterday was the worst day of my life,” Ricardo Gabaldón told national broadcaster RTVE.
He added:
We were trapped like rats. Cars and trash containers were flowing down the streets. The water was rising to three meters.”
Climate scientists have warned that torrential rains are set to get stronger as the planet heats up.
Ernesto Rodríguez Camino, senior state meteorologist and member of Spanish Meteorological Association, said: “These types of intense and exceptional, rare rainfall events are going to become more frequent and more intense and, therefore, destructive.”
He said scientists would be able to quantify the role of climate change after the event but could not do so on the fly.
María José Sanz, scientific director of the BC3 Basque Centre for Climate Change, said hotter oceans meant there was more water in the atmosphere. Changes in the jet stream also appear to be keeping areas of low pressure in one place for longer.
The air can hold 7% more water for every degree celsius the planet heats. The world has heated about 1.3C and Europe has warmed by about double that.
Liz Stephens, a climate risk scientist at the University of Reading, said “the tragic consequences of this event show that we have a long way to go to prepare.”
A red weather warning was issued for the region with enough time for people to move out of harm’s way, she added, but a red warning alone doesn’t communicate what the impact will be or what people should do.
“People shouldn’t be dying from these kinds of forecasted weather events in countries where they have the resources to do better.”
The EU has offered support to Spain, the president of the EU Commission has said.
In a post on social media, Ursula von der Leyen said “Europe is ready to help.”
What we're seeing in Spain is devastating.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) October 30, 2024
My thoughts are with the victims, their families and the rescue teams.
The EU has already offered support.
Copernicus has been activated.
The #EUCivilProtection can be mobilised.
Europa está lista para ayudar https://t.co/SOsCIxHwvV
Updated
Death toll in Valencia region rises to 63 people
At least 62 people have died as a result of the floods, regional authorities in Valencia have said.
The central government delegation in the central Castilla-La Mancha region later said an 88-year-old woman was found dead in the city of Cuenca.
Updated
Speaking to reporters in the Canary Islands, Spain’s King Felipe has spoke of the “enormous destruction” caused by the floods.
There are still difficulties when it comes to accessing some areas, so we do not have complete information on the extent and possible victims.
"I am comforted by the knowledge that all possible means available are at the disposal of the authorities and emergency services. They are all working and the important thing is to let them work in a coordinated manner”.
Spain's prime minister makes televised statement
Pedro Sánchez has just addressed the nation. My colleague Sam Jones has this dispatch from Madrid:
In a televised statement on Wednesday morning, Sánchez, called for unity, solidarity - and vigilance.
“We mustn’t let our guard down because the weather front is still wreaking havoc and we can’t say that this devastating episode is over,” he said.
“There are still weather warnings in Andalucía, Valencia, Aragón, Castilla y León, in Cataluña, in Extremadura, in Navarra, in La Rioja and in Ceuta. That’s why I’m asking people in those areas to take special care: to stay off the roads; to avoid travelling close to ravines, riverbanks and riverbeds, and to heed the advice of the emergency services and of the police. No one should be putting their life at risk.”
The prime minister said that Spain had had more than its fair share of natural and health emergencies in recent years - mentioning the Covid pandemic, Storm Filomena in January 2021, and the volcanic eruptions in the Canary Islands that same year - but said such adversity brought out the best in the country.
“We’re going to lend a hand and help those who can’t get into their homes or who are looking for relatives or friends or loved ones,” he added. “But most of all, right now, we’re going to stand with those who are suffering the loss of their loved ones.”
Updated
The German government has offered its help to Madrid, a spokesperson in Berlin said on Wednesday.
“We are in direct contact with the Spanish government as to whether there should be support from Germany for this terrible disaster,” the spokesperson said, according to Reuters.
The floods in Spain come some three years after the 2021 floods that killed more than 220 people in Europe, leaving a trail of destruction in Germany and Belgium, as well as damage in the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland.
Speaking earlier on Wednesday, Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, expressed his condolences to the families of the at least 52 people who have died and others who continue to search for their missing loved ones.
“We are going to help you with all the resources of the State. And if necessary from the European Union”, he said.
He added:
“I would like to ask citizens not to let our guard down. The storm continues to wreak havoc.”
Updated
Valencia CF pledges to help in 'any way possible'
Valencia’s football club have expressed their “sincere condolences” to those who have died, adding in a social media post that it was ready to help authorities in “any way possible”.
They have also postponed their Copy Del Rey clash with Parla Escuela, which was due to take place this evening in Madrid
Valencia CF would like to send its sincere condolences to the families and friends of those who died as a result of the #DANA.
— Valencia CF (@valenciacf_en) October 30, 2024
Much strength to all the neighbors and affected populations and to the groups that are working on the prevention and consequences of the effects of the… pic.twitter.com/d6gi5t2zUh
Updated
Spain floods: What we know so far
At least 52 people have died after torrential rains hit southern and eastern Spain on Tuesday, bringing flash floods that raged through towns and cut off roads and rail lines.
Emergency services in the eastern region of Valencia have confirmed the deaths of 51 people though the region’s leader said it was still too early to provide a comprehensive death toll. The central government office for Castilla La Mancha region said an 88-year-old woman had been found dead in the city of Cuenca.
In some parts of the country, more than a month’s worth of rain fell in a day, leaving dozens of people stranded, with some reportedly forced to climb on top of cars or gas stations as they waited to be rescued.
The country’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, was expected to speak on Wednesday just before midday. Soon after, he is expected to chair a crisis meeting on the floods.
The intense rain has been attributed to the gota fría, or “cold drop”, which occurs when cold air moves over the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea. This creates atmospheric instability, causing warm, saturated air to rise rapidly, leading to the formation of towering cumulonimbus clouds in a matter of hours and dumping heavy rain across eastern parts of Spain.
Updated
Rescues as torrential rain brings flash flooding to Spain – video
Some photos taken after the storm dropped a year’s worth of rain in hours, causing rivers to quickly burst their banks and even spawning tornadoes
Updated
Spain's King Felipe sends 'strength and encouragement' to flood victims
Spain’s King Felipe has said he was “heartbroken” by news of the floods, in a social media post that offered condolences to the families of the more than 50 people killed.
“I’m sending strength, encouragement and all the necessary support to all those affected,” he said. “We recognise and appreciate all the local and regional authorities and the emergency and security services as they continue with the titanic task they have been carrying out since the very first moment.”
Desolados ante las últimas noticias sobre la DANA. Nuestro más sentido pésame a los familiares y allegados de los más de 50 fallecidos.
— Casa de S.M. el Rey (@CasaReal) October 30, 2024
Fuerza, ánimo y todo el apoyo necesario para todos los afectados.
Nuestro mensaje más cercano y reconocimiento a autoridades locales y…
Updated
Dozens of people spent the night stranded as mud-coloured waters rose across huge swathes of Spain, from the southern provinces of Malaga to the Valencia area in the east.
Some perched on top of cars and trucks, hoping to be rescued, while others climbed onto the rooftops of shops and gas stations, newspaper El Paīs reported. Rescues took place throughout the evening and continue Wednesday.
More than 50 feared dead after flash floods in Spain
At least 51 people are feared to have died after torrential rains hit southern and eastern Spain on Tuesday, bringing flash floods that raged through towns and cut off roads and rail lines.
As the search continued for the missing, people were urged to stay off the roads amid warnings that the number of fatalities could rise.
Speaking on Wednesday morning, the president of the eastern region of Valencia said it was still too early to provide a comprehensive death toll.
