Spain floods trap people in cars as Storm Alice sparks travel chaos

Torrential rain triggered flash floods in Spain’s northeastern Catalonia region, trapping people in cars and forcing travel suspensions across the Mediterranean coast.

Videos shared online showed torrents of muddy water surging through the towns of La Ràpita and Santa Bàrbara in Tarragona province, sweeping away vehicles, street furniture, and debris.

Spain’s national weather agency Aemet also declared the highest red alert in the province, warning that up to 180mm of rain could fall in just 12 hours.

A severe rainfall alert remains in place for parts of central Majorca on Monday, with the state weather service warning residents and tourists to prepare for up to 50mm rainfall.

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“Be prepared,” a statement from the AEMET reads. “Take precautions and keep up to date with the latest weather forecast. Severe damages to people and properties may occur, especially to those vulnerable or in exposed areas.”

Over the weekend, Catalonia’s Civil Protection agency urged residents in the Ebro Delta to stay indoors as conditions worsened, as residents were reportedly evacuated in the city of Murcia.

Catalonian authorities issued a “high alert” for flooding as it urged the public to avoid travel and keep clear of rivers as the most severe conditions passed on Sunday.

“The situation is complicated, and more rain is forecast,” Cristina Vicente, a senior official at the agency was quoted as saying by La Vanguardia.

So far, there have been no reports of deaths or major injuries but emergency services have been rescuing drivers from submerged vehicles and working overnight to reopen blocked travel routes.

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Emergency shelters were established in the region as authorities reported receiving over 2,100 calls from those trapped due to the extreme weather.

Train services between Barcelona and Valencia were suspended until further notice along the Mediterranean Corridor, while roads in several low-lying areas were closed due to the flooding.

The downpours are part of a spell of severe weather driven by Storm Alice, which has battered parts of southeastern Spain, including the Balearic Islands, in recent days.

The rainfall has led to travel chaos in the popular tourist island of Ibiza, as the airport has been flooded and roads submerged.

At least 24 flights were cancelled from late afternoon onwards at Ibiza's airport, with inside areas having to be closed due to water leaking into the terminal and power cuts caused by the heavy showers.

"Because of the adverse weather conditions in Ibiza, airport operations were temporarily paralysed between 6pm and 7.20pm,” officials at Spanish airports authority AENA told local press. “During that time the runway was cleaned along with other areas that were affected by the storm."

The city of Murcia has also seen evacuations, with significant flooding in places.

Yellow warnings were in place on Sunday from Valencia to the south of Tarragona as the storm was expected to bring a total of 250-300mm (10-12inches) of rain in some locations.

The President of the Generalitat (Catalan Government), Salvador Illa, traveled to Tortosa on Monday morning to meet with the mayors of the affected areas, according to La Vanguardia.