Storm in the Valencian Community: Hail, wind gusts of up to 149 km/h and material damage

The episode of rain and storms that affected the Valencian Community this Thursday has left hail, wet bursts and wind gusts of up to 149 kilometers per hour in the interior of the province of Valencia, according to data from the Valencian Meteorological Association (Avamet). The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) has indicated that the storm, although short-lived, is generating very strong gusts of wind and is moving towards the sea through the area of ​​Cullera, El Perelló and El Saler.

The strongest gusts have been recorded in Sumacàrcer, with 149 km/h, and Alzira, with 143 km/h, followed by Corbera (125 km/h) and l'Alcúdia (114 km/h), while Avamet has reported the appearance of wet bursts in the Canal de Navarrés and in the regions of Ribera Alta and Ribera Baixa.

In Alzira, a side wall of the church of Santa Catalina, the oldest in the town, has been exposed as a result of the wet burst, which has left part of the interior dome visible, as explained by the mayor. The strong wind has also caused various material damage in the area, with trees and elements of buildings falling, as well as damage to roads and railway traffic.

In Alzira, the strong gusts have caused damage to the church of Santa Catalina, while one of the downed trees has fallen on Cercanías line 2, which has also caused delays in medium and long distance trains.

The storm has also left at least one person injured in Cullera, where a man has been hit in the head by an umbrella that was thrown by a strong gust of wind on Racó beach and had to be treated by health services, according to the newspaper El Levante.

The gale has also torn off numerous umbrellas and caused damage to apartment terraces, with chairs, tables and other elements displaced or broken.

Aemet has specified that the accumulated rainfall is not particularly significant at the moment, although it has asked for extreme caution in the face of wind, especially in areas with fragile or poorly anchored structures.

In Polinyà de Xúquer, 21.4 liters per square meter have been accumulated, with a maximum of 14.1 liters in ten minutes and gusts of up to 94 km/h.

In addition, the passage of the storm has caused a thermal drop of 19 degrees, from 37.7 to 18.1 degrees, according to Aemet.

For its part, the Valencia Provincial Fire Consortium has so far responded to nearly a dozen incidents related to the storm episode in La Ribera, mainly in Alzira, Massalavés, Benimuslem and Algemesí, according to the Emergency Coordination Center of the Generalitat.