Flash floods strike eastern Spain, killing one driver and shutting transit hubs in Catalonia and Valencia

Fatal flash flood in Olivella

Torrential rain and flash floods struck eastern Spain on Wednesday night, causing severe localized inundation and killing a British motorist in Catalonia. The incident took place in Olivella, located approximately 40 kilometers southwest of Barcelona, where the overflowing Riera de Begues swept away the victim's automobile. According to local mayor Marta Verdejo, the driver attempted to cross a flooded roadway before being overtaken by rushing water. Emergency services initially misidentified the missing person as a woman before firefighters located and recovered the man's body from the submerged vehicle on Thursday morning. Nearby in Sitges, emergency workers evacuated campers from a site adjacent to a rising river as wind gusts exceeded 90 kilometers per hour and hailstones reached two centimeters in diameter.

Disruption across Catalonia and hospital flooding

The downpours triggered widespread infrastructure disruptions and structural damage across Barcelona and surrounding municipalities. At the Vall d'Hebron hospital complex in Barcelona, floodwaters entered three buildings, forcing medical staff to transfer patients when a section of ceiling collapsed in one ward. Barcelona-El Prat Airport logged 23 flight cancellations and extensive departure delays, while rail traffic between Fabra i Puig and Montcada Bifurcació was temporarily shut down. Civil protection authorities activated the Inuncat emergency response plan as dispatchers recorded 644 emergency calls and 445 storm incidents across Catalonia by 22:00. Intense precipitation accumulated rapidly in the Alt Penedès region, where Sant Cugat Sesgarrigues registered 117.3 liters per square meter and Les Gunyoles received 91.9 liters per square meter, alongside 57 liters in 30 minutes at Fornells de la Selva.

Severe inundation in Valencia and Girona

Further south in Valencia, heavy storms delivered up to 100 liters of water per square meter starting at 21:00 on Wednesday, flooding downtown boulevards and subterranean transport networks. Regional meteorological network AVAMET recorded downpours exceeding 70 liters per square meter within 30 minutes across multiple towns in the province. The deluge forced the temporary shutdown of Valencia Airport and submerged subway tracks, leaving commuters stranded across the city. Emergency responders operated knee-deep in water inside civil protection headquarters while performing pumping operations across more than 500 emergency incidents overnight. In Girona, a ten-minute hailstorm transformed the exterior steps of the city cathedral into a cascading waterfall, while gale-force winds uprooted trees across eastern provinces and pushed floodwaters into Murcia.

Government reaction and meteorological context

Spanish weather agency AEMET issued severe rain alerts across the Mediterranean coast, including a brief red alert for flash flooding in Barcelona following record summer heat. Regional authorities in Catalonia and Valencia urged residents to avoid non-essential travel while emergency clearing crews worked through Thursday. Prime minister Pedro Sánchez addressed the hazardous conditions in a public statement.

We have to deal with very complicated situations.

Forecasters projected strong winds, hail, and torrential rains to continue through Friday across eastern Spain, the northern coastline, and the Balearic Islands. The storms follow prolonged September heat that raised Mediterranean sea surface temperatures, driving higher rates of coastal atmospheric evaporation.