More than 411,000 students stayed home in Spain due to heavy rains — Interia

In eastern Spain, heavy rains and thunderstorms caused sudden flooding, leaving more than 411,000 students in the Valencian Community out of school on Friday. The largest number of schoolchildren stayed home in Valencia — more than 307,000, followed by 81,000 in Castellón and 22,000 in Alicante, Interia reports.

Flooding in Catalonia and Valencia

Red warnings over intense rainfall and thunderstorms were in effect in Castellón and Tarragona. The most difficult situation was in the Catalan areas of Baix Ebre and Montsià. In the town of L'Ametlla de Mar, more than 246 litres of precipitation per square metre fell in 24 hours. Les Cases d'Alcanar recorded 231 litres, while Mas de Barberans recorded 226 litres per square metre.

Mountain gullies quickly filled with water, while streams of water spread through city streets. Santa Bàrbara Mayor Josep Lluís Gimeno told 3CatInfo that the bed of the local river usually needs around two hours of continuous rain to fill with water. This time, the water began to overflow after just half an hour.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

Rescue operations and transport disruptions

Firefighters rescued 18 people who were trapped in cars. According to firefighters' spokesperson Oriol Cobella, the water level in some vehicles reached the rear-view mirrors. Firefighters also assisted residents of flooded homes and cleared trees knocked down by the wind.

Rail operator Renfe suspended train services between Valencia and Catalonia, while trains between Tarragona and Tortosa are also not running. On Thursday evening, 4,300 homes in Catalonia remained without electricity. Civil Protection urged residents of Baix Ebre and Montsià to stay at home and follow the authorities' instructions.

According to Spain's meteorological service AEMET, 50,040 lightning strikes were recorded over 24 hours in the country's southeast and near its coast. Most of them occurred over the sea. AEMET forecast that heavy rains would continue at least until Saturday: in some places, more than 90 litres of water per square metre may fall in an hour, and more than 300 litres in 12 hours.