Heavy rain floods Barcelona streets, traps car in tunnel, woman swept away

Torrential rain flooded Barcelona and nearby areas, as rescue workers tried to reach a vehicle trapped in a tunnel. The storm disrupted transport across Catalonia and Valencia, prompting alerts and warnings of dangerous conditions.

In Short

• Torrential rain caused flooding and red alert in Barcelona, northeast Spain
• Over 850 emergency calls and 500 incidents reported in Catalonia
• Valencia faced heavy rain, metro suspension and airport closure

Torrential rain battered Barcelona and surrounding areas, triggering flooding, a red weather alert and widespread disruption across northeastern Spain. A video has gone viral showing rescue workers attempting to free a vehicle trapped inside a flooded tunnel, with rising water completely submerging the road.

The video shared by Barcelona City Council on social media on Wednesday showed rescue workers trying to reach the vehicle as floodwater completely submerged the roadway inside the tunnel.

The heavy rain struck parts of the Catalan coast, prompting Spain’s state weather agency AEMET to issue a red alert for Barcelona’s coastline over the threat of flash floods.

Authorities urged residents in Catalonia and Valencia to avoid unnecessary travel and exercise extreme caution.

Emergency services were also searching for a woman who was believed to have been swept away by water along a stream in the village of Olivella, around 40 km west of Barcelona.

“She was in a vehicle, and it seems she tried to get out,” a senior official told local TV, adding that police were searching for her.

The downpour caused widespread disruption in Barcelona, with some metro stations closed and buses diverted as streets were submerged.

Regional train services were also affected, while flights at Barcelona’s El Prat airport were delayed or cancelled.

Catalan emergency services said they received more than 850 calls related to the heavy rain, resulting in more than 500 incidents.

The storms also affected the neighbouring Valencia region, which was devastated by floods in 2024 that killed more than 230 people.

Weather monitor Avamet recorded more than 70 mm of rain in just 30 minutes in several municipalities.

“Rarely have we seen such large rainfall accumulations in 30 minutes as the one we've had today in Valencia and nearby areas,” Avamet said on X.

Emergency services reported 478 incidents in Valencia province, most involving property damage, leaks and traffic disruption.

In Valencia city, all metro lines were suspended and flooding forced the city's airport to close for several hours. Airport operator Aena said 12 flights were diverted.

A top-flight football match between Levante and Athletic Bilbao in Valencia was also postponed after the pitch became waterlogged and water seeped into the players’ tunnel.

Authorities sent mass telephone alerts to residents in parts of Catalonia, Valencia and the southeastern province of Almeria as the severe weather swept across the regions.

The latest storms came as Spain emerged from its hottest summer on record and an exceptionally warm start to September.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned on X of “very complicated situations” as the heavy rain continued.

- Ends
(With AFP and Reuters inputs)