Clicky
World

Fresh Spain floods sweep away dozens of cars near Girona


By BBC
Published : 08 Nov 2024 08:01 PM

New floods have hit the region of Girona in north-eastern Spain, sweeping away around 30 cars in the town of Cadaqués, according to Spanish media reports.

Videos posted by a local journalist showed a torrent of water gushing down the street and a pile of cars blocking a bridge early on Friday.

No casualties were reported in the latest round of flooding to hit the country.

More than 200 people were killed last week, most in the Valencia area, in one of the worst floods in Europe this century.

The disaster ignited intense anger at the authorities for not issuing emergency alerts sooner.

Flooding in Cadaqués in the early hours of Friday morning caused around 30 vehicles to pile up under a bridge, Catalonia's fire service said on X. No one was injured or trapped, the emergency responders added.

More potentially dangerous weather is expected in the region overnight.

Catalonia's meteorological service issued a rain warning from Friday evening until Saturday afternoon for the area of Alt Emporda, where Cadaqués is located. The weather agency warned rain intensity could exceed 20 mm (0.7 inches) in 30 minutes. The agency recorded 76.8 mm (3 inches) of rain in Cadaqués on 7 and 8 November, with more than 100 mm (4 inches) logged in two other towns nearby.

Spain received 72% more rainfall from 1 October to 5 November than the normal value for that time period, according to Aemet, Spain's weather agency.

The rainfall, which experts said was intensified by climate change, led to flash floods that trapped people in their cars.

Agencies add: Spain has been struck by a fresh bout of flooding in Girona, swamping streets and piling up vehicles, just over a week after floods killed more than 200 people in the east of the country.

Footage shared on social media showed torrents of water gushing through the coastal town of Cadaques on Thursday night.

Meteocat, Catalonia's regional meteorological agency, said the town had been subject to "intense" and "continuous" rains of more than four inches.

According to local reports, some 100 litres of rain per square metre fell in Cadaques.

Mayor Pia Serinyana told local media that around 32 vehicles were swept away by the flooding, and became piled up against a bridge.

Emergency services were called in the early hours of the morning, but Cadaques' fire brigade said no injuries or deaths were reported, local media said.

It follows a week of unprecedented rains in southern and eastern Spain, which saw more than 200 people killed and many still reported missing.

Three British people are among those to have died in the floods last week.

The floods marked Spain's worst natural disaster in living memory, with the government dispatching thousands of police officers and soldiers to assist in the worst hit regions.

The Spanish navy’s “Galicia” transport vessel arrived in Valencia’s port on Monday with marines, helicopters and trucks loaded with food and water to help with the relief effort, which included 7,500 soldiers and thousands of police reinforcements.

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez met King Felipe VI for a flood crisis meeting in Madrid on Monday.

On Sunday, residents threw mud and rocks at the country's king and queen on Sunday during a visit to the town of Paiporta, near Valencia, as anger continues to grow over the official response to the floods.