Bombers rescued 22 people amid torrential rain in Catalonia: 18 in Xerta, two in Vandellos and two in Cambrils. Many were trapped inside vehicles. The danger remains active until at least 2.00 in the morning.
Terres de l'Ebre and other parts of Tarragona have been hit hardest. The C-12 is closed in Xerta, the T-301 is blocked in Benifallet, and the TV-3422 is impassable between Aldover and Tortosa.
Water has also cut the A-7 at Mont-roig del Camp, while a landslide has closed the C-43 in Benifallet. Driving is impossible in some places.
Protecció Civil sent four Es-Alert warnings in less than an hour as conditions worsened across Tarragona, Barcelona and Girona. Twelve comarcas are under red alert for torrential rain.
Residents have been told to limit travel and stay away from areas liable to flooding. The warnings followed a morning assessment that had not expected a new Es-Alert. The storm then moved north along the Catalan coast, bringing intense showers and lightning to Barcelona.
Granollers was among the municipalities that received an alert. More than 300 litres per square metre fell there over the previous 48 hours. The city had already closed municipal facilities and cancelled cultural and sporting activities on Tuesday.
Salvador Illa and Núria Parlon led the monitoring meeting for the Inuncat plan at the Cecat operations room. Illa urged residents to stay alert and take maximum precautions, as several days of rain had already saturated the ground.
Parlon reported multiple incidents during the first hours of the latest episode and called for restricted mobility in the comarcas under red alert.
The most intense part of the system lies between Tarragona and Barcelona. Meteocat forecaster Santi Segalà reported dynamic discharges in the area, along with very high rainfall totals.
In just half an hour, the storm between Baix Camp and Tarragonès produced 47.6 millimetres in Miami Platja. Riudecanyes recorded 36.6 millimetres.
Transport is taking another hit. Rodalies is still operating below normal capacity after the weekend disruption, while the weather has put fresh pressure on the road network.
Officials have instructed people to postpone unnecessary journeys and avoid routes that can flood.
Paüls mayor Enric Adell described flooding in the municipality, saying residents had seen scenes they had never experienced before.
Access to Paüls remains impossible because the C-12 is unusable. Machinery is expected to help reopen paths around Paüls and Xerta after the highly concentrated rainfall.
The heaviest part of the storm has passed in that area, but normal activity has not returned.
More rain is expected on Wednesday, though Parlon said conditions should not be torrential. Several roads remain underwater, a landslide is blocking another route, rail services are already weakened, and 12 comarcas remain under red alert.
Movement should stay limited. Any extra rain would fall on ground already saturated by the previous days of storms.
