Severe Weather Causes Flooding in Barcelona and Valencia, Emergency Measures Activated

Last night, Badalona, a city near Barcelona, experienced an extraordinary rainfall totaling 120 liters per square meter, leading to widespread flooding in basements and streets. This deluge prompted the Badalona City Council to activate its municipal emergency plan, with an alert phase in effect until at least 8 AM today. Residents have been urged to exercise extreme caution and avoid unnecessary travel as multiple streets were submerged, causing damage to urban furniture and the uprooting of trees. The metro services in Barcelona have also been affected, particularly on Line 3, where operations between Sants Estació and Passeig de Gràcia were temporarily suspended. While service has been restored, it is running at longer intervals than usual. Line 2, which connects Artigues-Sant Adrià and Badalona Pompeu Fabra, along with parts of Line 1 between La Sagrera and Torras i Bages, faced interruptions as well. As of this evening, the emergency phone number 112 received a staggering total of 949 calls related to the rain, with 676 requests coming from the Barcelonès area, mainly during the afternoon. The accumulation of water on roads has led to several traffic incidents across the metropolitan Barcelona area, including the southern Maresme region and the Vallès Oriental and Occidental. Civil Protection officials have also advised the public to refrain from any non-essential travel. On the B20 highway in Santa Coloma de Gramenet, one lane is operational while traffic is moving along the shoulder, with the southbound lane remaining completely open. Emergency services have noted that rainfall has shifted southward across the metropolitan area, issuing warnings for potential water accumulation and isolated incidents. Meanwhile, attention is being drawn to the northern coast of Valencia, where the Generalitat Valenciana's emergency services have raised an orange alert due to heavy rains. The city itself received up to 29 liters per square meter within just four hours, while surrounding areas like Massanassa and Albal recorded 25 and 19 liters respectively. According to emergency services, regions in Alicante and Castellón saw lesser rain totals, with maximums of 9 liters in El Campello and 5 liters in Castellón de la Plana. Forecasts from the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) indicate that this unstable weather will continue into Wednesday, particularly impacting areas in the eastern third of the peninsula, as well as the Balearic Islands and Melilla. The anticipated weather patterns suggest more rain and thunderstorms, with locally strong showers expected, especially in the Valencia Community and certain parts of Catalonia's coast. For the remainder of the peninsula, conditions are expected to stabilize under high pressure, though the far northwest will likely see increased cloud cover as a front approaches. The Canary Islands are also forecasted to experience instability with abundant precipitation on their northern slopes. Temperature-wise, maximums are anticipated to rise slightly in the peninsula and Balearic Islands, while minimums will increase in the Valencia Community, with decreases expected in northern regions and minimal changes elsewhere. In the mountain areas, light frost may occur, while moderate winds are likely in the Balearic Islands and along the eastern coastline, coupled with weak winds in other areas shifting towards the south in the Cantabrian region and Galicia. Related Sources: • Source 1 • Source 2