Heavy overnight rain in eastern Spain left one man dead in Olivella, Barcelona, after floodwaters swept his car away. Emergency crews found his body about 500 meters from the vehicle. The storm disrupted daily life across several regions.
Valencia was hit especially hard. Floodwater forced the city’s entire metro system to shut down. By late evening, emergency services had responded to 478 storm-related incidents, most involving flooding and traffic jams, while others concerned property damage. Nearly half were in Valencia city. Towns including Torrent and L'Eliana also reported dozens of cases. No other deaths had been confirmed in Valencia at the time of reporting.
The Generalitat of Valencia activated a special flood response plan and sent out ES-Alert warnings. Metrovalencia began suspending service gradually, closing stations as a precaution.
Disruption spread to other transport lines. Several Cercanías commuter trains were interrupted: the C3 line was cut between Buñol and Sant Isidre because of signaling failures, the C1 was blocked by a fallen tree near Sollana, and the C2 was delayed by electrical issues. Thousands of passengers were stranded or searching for other ways to get around.
The storm also disrupted sports. The Levante vs Athletic Club football match at Ciutat de València was called off just before kickoff because the pitch was waterlogged. Players tried to warm up, but the field was unplayable. LaLiga and match officials postponed the game; a new date has yet to be announced.
Schools across the region closed in response to the flooding. Classes were suspended in Carcaixent and l'Alcúdia, as well as in Alberic and at a flood-prone institute in Benifaió. Valencia also extended closures to rural schools in the south. In Alicante, lessons were canceled in Elche and Orihuela, as well as in Santa Pola, with some closures expected to last until mid-afternoon.
Information from official reports, 26 schools in the city of Valencia implemented preventive measures. These included continuing meal services until 15:00 and moving all outdoor activities indoors after that time. The municipality also suspended classes from 14:00 in flood-risk zones and areas affected by the DANA 2024 storm.
Valencia City Council
Catalonia faced its own emergencies. The Aemet weather agency issued a red alert for Barcelona’s coast, warning that more than 90 liters of rain per square meter could fall in under an hour. Flooding and transport problems affected roads and railways, as well as parts of the Barcelona metro, disrupting lines L1, L4 and L11. During the Barcelona vs Racing de Santander match at Camp Nou, stadium announcements warned fans about metro outages. With rain still falling, leaving the stadium became more difficult.
The storm also moved south. In Almería, authorities activated emergency protocols and suspended in-person classes in Pulpí, Huércal-Overa and Cuevas del Almanzora. Civil Protection sent ES-Alert warnings to residents in orange-alert zones, advising them to avoid unnecessary travel. Forecasts predicted up to 50 liters of rain per square meter overnight in the Levante area of Almería. Further alerts were issued in Jaén, Córdoba, Málaga and Granada.
As rain swept along the Mediterranean coast, the disruption exposed how vulnerable Spain’s cities are to extreme weather. Emergency services urged people to stay off the roads and away from flooded areas, and to follow official instructions. The strain on urban infrastructure echoed the high failure rate of vehicles at Spanish ITV inspections, as reported earlier.
The storm halted public transport, closed schools and forced professional football to postpone a match. Emergency services urged residents to follow warnings.
