Torrential rains cause flooding, transport outages and suspension of classes in Valencia and other areas of Spain

The Generalitat Valenciana has sent an ES-Alert regarding the risk of flooding throughout the province of Valencia, in which it asks the population to avoid travel, stay away from riverbeds and ravines and, "in the event of an increase in the water level", go up to the "upper floors" of homes. The massive alert comes after the Emergency Coordination Center has activated situation 1 of the Special Flood Plan in the Valencian Community, especially after the intense storm of water that falls since late afternoon on the city of Valencia and its metropolitan area.

According to the Generalitat, the decision was made after flooding was recorded in several parts of the province. In fact, the yellow pre-emergency level has also had to be activated due to hydrological alert in the area of ​​the Poyo-Saleta ravines, which already overflowed in the tragic Dana of 2024. The yellow level hydrological pre-emergency has also been activated in the Carraixet-Calderona area. In the metropolitan area of ​​Valencia, for example, up to 85 liters per square meter have fallen, while in L'Eliana, 70 in just half an hour.

The heavy rains, which had already forced the Valencia City Council to decree the closure of schools starting at 2 p.m. this Wednesday, have caused delays on line C2 of the Valencia Cercanías core, due to the lack of tension on one of the tracks between Silla and Almussafes, according to Adif sources. Likewise, Valencia airport has had to divert flights to Alicante.

The Valencia Fire Consortium has mobilized a total of 25 services related to the rains. Among the reported incidents are fires caused by lightning and vehicles blocked on roads whose occupants have had to be helped.

The areas with the most incidents have been recorded in Camp de Túria and l'Horta Sud and Nord, although firefighters have had to intervene mainly in La Pobla de Vallbona, Torrent, l'Eliana, Paterna, San Antonio de Benagéber, Sagunto or Tavernes Blanques.

Likewise, the match between Levante UD and Athletic Club de Bilbao corresponding to matchday 6 of LaLiga EA Sports scheduled for this Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. at the Ciutat de València has been postponed for weather reasons, according to the Valencian club.

For its part, the Emergency Coordination Center of the Generalitat has sent a statement this afternoon to the town councils located downstream of the Valencian Buseo dam to inform them that the body responsible for the reservoir will begin, as a preventive measure, a flow release process. Emergencies also asks those responsible for these municipalities to intensify surveillance and monitoring in the area.

The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) has established the orange warning for rainfall with accumulated amounts of 60 liters per square meter in one hour and 120 l/m2 in twelve hours - which can be higher in a period of two or three hours - on the coast of Alicante and the south coast of Valencia, between 3:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. this Thursday.

There is also an orange warning for accumulated 40 liters per square meter in one hour in the south of the province of Castellón and the north and southern interior of Valencia, and for storms in the southern interior of Castellón and northern interior of Valencia, with possible large hail, until 11:59 p.m.

The subway stops its circulation

Metrovalencia has interrupted circulation on all metro lines due to the rains and is going to close the stations, while Cercanías line C3 is not working and incidents are being recorded on C1 and C2.

As a consequence of the intense rains and storms that have fallen in Valencia and its metropolitan area since late afternoon, Metrovalencia has begun to progressively withdraw the trains and trams that are still in service from the workshops and is going to close the stations.

The entity indicates that it hopes to be able to circulate tomorrow on all metro and tram lines, depending on the evolution of the storm and the actions that must be carried out.

Valencia airport closure

The rains have forced the Valencia airport to close after 10:00 p.m. this Wednesday, according to Aena on its X social network account, after flooding was recorded in its facilities.

As a result of the closure of the airport, located in the town of Manises, up to that time there have been two flight diversions, according to the same information.

Elche and the southern districts, without teaching activity

The Local Operational Coordination Center (Cecopal) of Valencia has agreed tonight to close the schools in the southern districts for this Thursday due to the orange alerts for rain that remain activated for the southern coast and being a bordering area with it, as reported by the City Council in its X account.

The mayor of València, in this same social network, has indicated that, after the Cecopal meeting, they have adopted "the corresponding measures in response to the alerts activated for tomorrow."

The Alicante town of Elche has also agreed to suspend teaching activity and outdoor activities this Thursday due to the orange alert for rain and storms established by the Generalitat Valenciana.

Evictions in Torrent

The torrential rains that fell this afternoon in the Valencian municipality of Torrent, where more than 95 l/m2 have been recorded in less than an hour, have caused traffic jams, critical situations for drivers and pedestrians, flooding of some homes and fifteen people have had to be evacuated from a fast food establishment.

As reported by the mayor of Torrent, Amparo Folgado, "the night has been very complicated in the city and throughout the region" of l'Horta, where heavy rainfall has led vehicles and pedestrians to find themselves in "complicated" situations and some homes have suffered flooding due to water entering through drains and terraces.

Es-Alert in seven regions of Catalonia

Around 11:10 p.m., the Civil Protection of the Generalitat sent an Es-Alert message to mobile phones in the regions of Baix Llobregat, Vallès Occidental, Garraf, Alt Penedès, along with those already sent in Barcelonés and Maresme (Barcelona), and Baix Penedès (Tarragona) due to torrential rain until 1 a.m. on Thursday.

The message warns of the risk of sudden floods, asks for extreme caution when traveling, follow the instructions of the authorities and call 112 if you are at risk.

Around 9:30 p.m. this Wednesday, a similar message was sent to mobile phones in the regions of Barcelonès and Maresme (Barcelona).

Roads closed, streets flooded and flights canceled in Barcelona

In recent hours, heavy rains have caused flooding, road closures and multiple transport incidents in the Barcelona area, where several flights have been canceled and the Rodalies service has been affected.

In the city of Barcelona, ​​under a red warning due to rain, one of the neighborhoods that has recorded the most incidents is Horta, where the downpour has flooded some streets, making road traffic difficult.

The rains have also forced the Ronda de Dalt to be closed to traffic at exit 2 (Llobregat) and exit 3 (Besòs) due to the accumulation of water on the road, Barcelona City Council has reported.

Barcelona Airport has also been affected by the storms, which have caused delays and forced the cancellation of some flights. "The very adverse weather in the area of ​​the Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport causes safety regulations," explained Enaire.

Maximum caution in Almería after alerting the cell phone and suspending classes

The Minister of the Presidency, Health and Emergencies of the Government of Andalusia, Antonio Sanz, has called for maximum caution and responsibility in the face of the orange warning due to heavy rains and storms scheduled for this Thursday in the east of Almeria, which has motivated the activation of the emergency phase of the Flood Plan (PERI), the sending of alerts to mobile phones and the suspension of classes in three municipalities.

In statements to Canal Sur sent to the media by the Junta de Andalucía, Sanz explained that the decision to suspend in-person educational activity in the entire municipal areas of Pulpí, Huércal-Overa and Cuevas del Almanzora has been taken "after analyzing the technical criteria and possible consequences."

The counselor has warned of the "significant danger" posed by the fusion of the risk of flooding with electrical storms, also coinciding with "more intense hours starting at three in the morning" and during school hours. "Prevention never hurts, the worst thing is not taking measures, and in this case I believe that prudence and responsibility obliges us to make these types of decisions," defended Sanz, expressing his wish that everything remains "just a preventive measure."

Alerts for Thursday

Aemet has also reported that it is establishing a yellow warning in the north of Castellón, due to rainfall with accumulated amounts of 20 l/m2 in one hour until 11:59 p.m.; of 30 l/m2 on the southern coast of Valencia and Castellón until 03:00 in the morning.

This Thursday there is a yellow alert for rain with accumulated amounts of 30 l/m2 on the northern coast and southern interior of Valencia and in the interior of Alicante until 8:00 p.m.; on the Alicante coast and the southern coast of Valencia between 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

The warning is also yellow in the province of Valencia due to accumulated 80 l/m2 in twelve hours in the province of Valencia and 60 l/m2 in the southern interior of Castellón until 00:00; and by storms that may be accompanied by hail, up to two centimeters, in Valencia, Castellón and in the southern interior of Alicante.