Heavy rains followed by floods have left at least two dead in eastern Spain, authorities announced, calling on the population of the Valencia region to stay at home and avoid all travel.
Videos released by the Valencia Meteorological Agency showed streets transformed into real torrents, sweeping away vehicles in several localities in the provinces of Valencia and Alicante.
The Valencia region called to confine itself
“It is impossible to travel, you must stay at home. There are intense and continuous rains which are causing significant flooding,” Juan Carlos Valderrama, emergency manager for the Valencia region, asked Monday morning.
Two people died
One person died in Sagunto, local authorities announced on the night of Sunday to Monday, while further north, in Catalonia, firefighters recorded the death of a woman who fell into a stream.
“Since last night until now, more than 500 liters per square meter (50 cm, editor’s note) has fallen in certain areas. So, please (…) follow the recommendations, because we have a lot of people trapped” waiting to be rescued, warned Juan Carlos Valderrama.
Rescue services and soldiers from the army’s emergency unit worked early in the morning to evacuate people whose homes had been flooded and who had taken refuge on roofs.
“Rescue operations continue in hard-to-reach areas. The population is asked to avoid any travel,” Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez insisted, describing the situation in the Valencia region as “very difficult.”
Climate change is intensifying the severe weather that typically hits eastern Spain in autumn, scientists say, with the sea absorbing heat during the summer, increasing evaporation and leading to increasingly heavy rainfall.
According to the Spanish Meteorological Agency, September 2026 was the hottest on record in peninsular Spain, which also just experienced the hottest summer in its history between June and August.
Submerged roads and disrupted flights in Ibiza
In Ibiza, roads were transformed into bodies of muddy water. The cars are partly submerged. Seaside resorts famous for their nightlife are deserted.
The main road to Ibiza Airport is closed. At least five flights were canceled, 16 diverted and others canceled, according to airport manager Aena. The army deployed an emergency unit sent from the mainland to help manage the situation in Ibiza and Mallorca.
In Andalusia’s southern province of Almeria, emergency services said people were “isolated by water” and reported “37 rescue operations” since Saturday.
