Torrential rains flood Valencia and Catalonia, killing driver in Spain

Flooded streets, submerged cars and disrupted transport were reported across parts of Valencia and Catalonia on 17 September as torrential rain swept through eastern Spain.

In Valencia province, Avamet recorded more than 70 millimetres of rain in just 30 minutes in several municipalities. Officials described the accumulations as rarely seen, while emergency services recorded 478 incidents involving mainly property damage, leaks and traffic disruption.

In Moncada, near Valencia, civil protection crews pumped water from a flooded supermarket. Firefighters dealt with hundreds of other calls across the province. Valencia’s metro services were suspended and the city’s airport closed for several hours, with 12 flights diverted before reopening.

Catalonia recorded more than 850 calls related to the storm and over 500 incidents, including flooded underpasses, submerged vehicles and water entering buildings.

Near Olivella, around 40 kilometres west of Barcelona, rescuers recovered the body of a man after his car was swept away by a swollen stream. Catalan firefighters and the Mossos d’Esquadra confirmed that he was the driver, correcting earlier reports that a woman was missing.

AEMET had issued heavy rain warnings, including a brief red alert along the Barcelona coast, while Catalonia’s meteorological service warned of locally torrential showers. Authorities advised people to avoid unnecessary travel and keep away from streams and ravines as emergency teams responded.

The storms came after Spain’s hottest summer on record.