Violent storms have hit the Valencia region and Andalusia since Monday October 28, causing considerable damage. Some towns near Valencia received almost 230 liters of water per m² in a few hours. Firefighters and authorities are overwhelmed.
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With our correspondent in Madrid, Diane Cambon
Raging rivers, roads transformed into rivers carrying cars, devastated greenhouses… The south-east ofSpain experiences an isolated high-level depression, also called a “dana”, or a “cold drop” of great violence.
The Malaga region and even the Balearic Islands suffered violent storms accompanied by torrential rains which blocked the highways around the Mediterranean.
No casualties, significant damage to agriculture
In the Almeria region, hailstones the size of golf balls destroyed hundreds of agricultural facilities. This is where tomatoes and eggplants are grown in greenhouses for northern Europe, on thousands of hectares. In the Valencia region, orange and olive fields could be affected, and damage to agriculture could reach thousands of euros.
The Valencia city metro was flooded and maritime traffic at the port suspended. The region has been placed on red alert by the Spanish meteorological service for the coming hours. No casualties have been reported, but firefighters are on high alert. Several people trapped in the floods had to be rescued.
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