Extreme flooding in southern and eastern Spain has resulted in multiple fatalities, with emergency workers recovering several dead bodies after heavy rains led to flash floods.
The town of Letur in Albacete province witnessed devastating mud-colored waters that swept through streets, displacing vehicles and disrupting road and high-speed train services, as reported by Spanish television broadcasts.

Spanish floods kill 95 as year of rain falls in a day in Valencia

Reuters: At least 95 people have been killed in possibly the deadliest flooding to hit Spain in its modern history after torrential rain battered the eastern region of Valencia, sweeping away bridges and buildings, local authorities said on Wednesday.

Meteorologists said a year’s worth of rain had fallen in eight hours in parts of Valencia on Tuesday, causing pile-ups on highways and submerging farmland in a region that produces two-thirds of the citrus fruit grown in Spain, a leading global exporter.

Residents in the worst-hit places described seeing people clambering onto the roofs of their cars as a churning tide of brown water gushed through the streets, uprooting trees and dragging away chunks of masonry from buildings.

“It’s a river that came through,” said Denis Hlavaty, who waited for rescue on a ledge in the petrol station where he works in the regional capital. “The doors were torn away and I spent the night there, surrounded by water that was 2 metres (6.5-feet) deep.”

People missing as flash floods sweep across Spain sending cars floating down street amid ‘historic’ weather event

A high-speed train carrying 276 passengers derailed in Andalusia, there were no injuries reported, according to the regional government. Emergency services conducted rescues, including airlift operations, as severe weather led to overflowing rivers and prompted a red alert from the state weather agency in Valencia, with secondary alerts in parts of Andalusia, resulting in multiple road closures due to flooding.

The recent intense rainfall in eastern Spain has been linked to the “gota fría” phenomenon, where cold air interacts with warm Mediterranean waters, resulting in rapid atmospheric instability and heavy rain. Scientists emphasize that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of such extreme weather events, including heatwaves and storms.

• Flash floods in Spain leave at least 62 dead and disrupt rail and road services
• At least 63 people die in devastating flash floods in eastern Spain