Torrential rain floods Valencia and Catalonia, one killed in Spain
Heavy rainstorms flooded large parts of Valencia and Catalonia in eastern Spain on 17 September, disrupting transport and killing one person. Near Olivella, a man died after his car was swept away by a swollen stream.
Eastern Spain was hit by torrential rain on 17 September, flooding streets and vehicles and severely disrupting public transport across both the Valencia and Catalonia regions.
Valencia sees rare rainfall totals
According to weather service Avamet, several municipalities in Valencia province received more than 70 millimetres of rain in just 30 minutes, a level officials described as rarely seen. Emergency services logged 478 incidents, mostly involving property damage, water leaks and traffic disruption. In Moncada, near Valencia city, civil protection teams pumped water out of a flooded supermarket, while firefighters across the province responded to hundreds of additional calls. Valencia's metro system was suspended, and the city's airport shut down for several hours, diverting 12 flights before reopening.
Fatality confirmed near Olivella in Catalonia
In Catalonia, emergency services received more than 850 storm-related calls and recorded over 500 incidents, including flooded underpasses, submerged cars and water entering buildings. Near Olivella, roughly 40 kilometres west of Barcelona, rescuers recovered the body of a man whose car had been swept away by a swollen stream. Catalan firefighters and the Mossos d'Esquadra police force confirmed the victim was the driver, correcting earlier reports that a woman had gone missing.
Spain's national weather agency AEMET had already issued heavy rain warnings, including a brief red alert for the Barcelona coast, while Catalonia's meteorological service warned of locally torrential showers. Authorities urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel and stay away from streams and ravines as emergency crews continued to respond. The storms followed Spain's hottest summer on record.
