Spain is grappling with its deadliest flash flooding in nearly 30 years, as torrential rains devastate southern and eastern regions, leaving at least 95 dead and dozens still missing. The extreme weather has transformed towns into disaster zones, overwhelming cities like Valencia and Málaga with a year’s worth of rain in just hours, trapping residents in cars and homes as floodwaters surged.
A British man, aged 71, is among the confirmed fatalities, along with a mother and her baby who were swept away in the Valencia suburbs. In the worst-hit areas, thousands remain without power and clean water, while roads are blocked by hundreds of abandoned vehicles and debris. Authorities are bracing for the death toll to climb as search teams, hindered by difficult terrain, work to locate missing persons. “There are still many unaccounted for,” said government minister Angel Victor Torres.
The flooding is linked to a meteorological phenomenon known as the “gota fría” or “cold drop,” in which cold air over warm Mediterranean waters creates instability, triggering intense downpours and thunderstorms. Climate scientists warn that the warming Mediterranean is fueling these extreme weather events by intensifying rainfall and prolonging droughts, worsening the water cycle’s extremes. Stefano Materia, a climate scientist at the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre, notes that the Mediterranean’s increasing temperatures play a significant role in amplifying such catastrophic rainfalls.
With more rain forecasted, Spain’s meteorological service has issued weather warnings for additional downpours expected north of Valencia, with as much as 100mm of rain predicted within the next 12 hours. Emergency crews have carried out hundreds of rescues, yet the search and rescue operation is expected to continue under challenging conditions in the days ahead.
Be First to Comment