Deadly flash floods kill man, paralyze transport across eastern Spain

Severe thunderstorms and torrential rainfall have triggered flash flooding and destructive mudflows along Spain’s eastern and southeastern coastlines. The extreme weather claimed the life of one man and severely disrupted transportation networks across multiple regions, including Barcelona and Valencia.

Barcelona under red alert

The Spanish State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) temporarily elevated its flood warning level to red—the highest tier—in Barcelona due to an acute risk of sudden inundation. In the western town of Oliveda, rescue teams recovered the body of a man inside his vehicle after floodwaters swept it away.

In Barcelona itself, streets submerged under floodwater forced the closure of several metro stations, rerouting of bus services, and significant disruption to regional rail operations. At El Prat Airport, multiple flights were delayed or cancelled as flood conditions affected airfield operations.

Valencia records extreme rainfall totals

Across parts of Valencia, rainfall exceeded 70 millimetres within a 30-minute period—levels sufficient to overwhelm urban drainage infrastructure. The deluge submerged roadways, suspended metro service, and led to the temporary closure of Valencia Airport for several hours. Air traffic controllers diverted 12 incoming flights during the outage.

Schools and football match suspended

More than 20 municipalities in the provinces of Almería and Murcia suspended in-person schooling as a precautionary measure. Separately, the Spanish La Liga fixture between Levante and Athletic Bilbao was postponed after floodwater inundated the pitch and flooded the players’ tunnel at the stadium.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the situation as “extremely complex” and urged residents in affected zones to avoid non-essential travel and strictly follow official guidance issued by civil protection authorities.