Spain braces for more floods after woman dies near Barcelona

MADRID - Spain braced for the worst of a powerful Mediterranean storm predicted to intensify on Oct 19 after it submerged streets, disrupted transport and claimed the life of a woman outside Barcelona.

Weather agency AEMET issued the highest red alert in the eastern region of Valencia and the holiday island of Mallorca for “extraordinary danger” of torrential rain in the early hours of Oct 19.

The Balearic Islands regional government suspended classes in Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera, while in Valencia, scarred by Spain’s deadliest floods in a generation in 2024, some commuter trains were suspended until further notice.

Emergency services in the regions of Valencia, Catalonia, Andalusia and the Balearic Islands had already reported hundreds of incidents linked to flooded homes, roads, fallen trees and material damage on Oct 18.

In Ibiza, roads were transformed into lakes of murky water on which giant refuse bins floated, partially submerging cars. Beach resorts that host the island’s famous nightclub scene were deserted.

The main motorway to Ibiza airport was closed, with 27 flights cancelled, 16 diverted and others delayed, with a further 37 scrapped in Mallorca, according to airport operator Aena.

The army deployed troops from the mainland to help deal with the emergency in Ibiza and Mallorca.

Multiple mass telephone alerts were sent in parts of Valencia, the Balearic Islands and Andalusia, urging the population to avoid unnecessary travel.

The Catalan fire service announced that a woman who had fallen into a stream on Oct 17 in Cabrera de Mar, 25km north-east of Barcelona, was found dead in the sea.

In Andalusia, emergency services reported dozens of rescues, including outside the popular tourist destination of Malaga, where 10 people were extracted from the flooded tunnel of a beach promenade.

Scientists say human-driven climate change is intensifying the Mediterranean storms that typically hit eastern Spain in autumn as the sea absorbs heat during the summer, leading to increased evaporation and heavier rainfall.

This week, AEMET announced that last month was mainland Spain’s hottest September on record, after the country registered its warmest summer between June and August. AFP