Where flash flooding has hit, latest weather forecast and what it means for holidays
Spain continues to be hit by flash flooding caused by heavy downpours, with the country’s meteorological office AEMET issuing multiple weather warnings.
The rainfall has mostly affected Spain’s Mediterranean coast, as well as the capital, Madrid.
Severe orange warnings for rain were in place in Murcia, the south-eastern region which has been worst affected by flooding, on Tuesday.
Floods already forced schools to close in the Murcia, Valencia and Andalusia regions last week, as ground struggled to cope with heavy rainfall following a long drought.
Some locations have seen more rain in a matter of days than they had in the previous six months combined, AEMET said.
Where is the flooding in Spain?
AEMET has issued yellow weather warnings for rain and storms across a large area of Spain, covering much of the north of the country, as well as eastern and southern areas.
Tourist hotspots including Alicante, Barcelona, Ibiza, Madrid and Valencia have all been affected by heavy rain.
Videos have shown cars being carried down flooded streets in parts of Murcia, while runways were flooded at Madrid airport and villages in Catalonia were struck by hailstorms.
Last week’s flooding claimed at least 14 lives and caused at least 300 landslides across Spain.
The town of Ontinyent in Valencia broke the record for the highest accumulated rainfall in one day in May for the past 100 years, with up to 130 litres per square metre, AEMET said.
The weather may cause disruption to flights travelling to Spain this week, so make sure to check AEMET’s weather warnings and local media before you travel. You should also be aware of the forecast if you are planning to drive in Spain.
What is the latest forecast for Spain?
The Met Office is predicting the wet weather to continue across Spain through the rest of this week and into early next week.
Rainfall will come more in the form of showers, however, rather than persistent downpours, and will be interspersed with some sunny periods. Temperatures are expected to be in the low to mid-20s for much of the country.
In Murcia, conditions should start to dry up as we head into the back end of the week, though there will still be showers through the weekend. There is a similar forecast for Madrid.
The best weather can be found in Las Palmas in Gran Canaria, where it will largely be sunny, with temperatures reaching the high 20s, and the Basque region, which will be cooler and still see occasional rain, but conditions will largely be a mixture of sunshine and clouds.
