At least two killed in floods in eastern Spain — Asharq Al-Awsat

At least two people were killed as a result of heavy rains and flooding in eastern Spain. Rescuers are evacuating residents from flooded areas, while authorities in Valencia urged people to stay at home, Asharq Al-Awsat reports.

Deaths and evacuation

One person died in the city of Sagunto in Valencia overnight from Sunday to Monday, local authorities said. Firefighters in neighboring Catalonia also reported the death of a woman who fell into a stream.

Emergency services and military personnel from Spain's Military Emergency Unit evacuated people from flooded homes. Some residents waited for help on rooftops. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said rescue operations were continuing in hard-to-reach areas and urged people to avoid all travel.

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

Flooding in Valencia and Alicante

Valencia's regional meteorological service released videos showing streets in several towns in the provinces of Valencia and Alicante turning into torrents of water that swept away cars. Valencia's emergency services chief Juan Carlos Valderrama warned that intense and prolonged rainfall had made travel on roads impossible.

Scientists link the intensification of autumn Mediterranean storms to human-caused climate change: the sea warmed over the summer contributes to more intense evaporation and heavier rainfall. The national meteorological service AEMET previously reported that September was the hottest on record in mainland Spain, following the warmest summer for the June-to-August period.