Mega storm lashes Spain with stay indoors warning in Barcelona, tourist flights delayed and roads becoming rivers in Balearic holiday islands as videos show people running for cover
Heavy rain turned roads into rivers in sunny Spain on Thursday; Mega storm Melissa hit the country, leaving hundreds of tourists stranded in airports and locals running for cover.
Barcelona issued a stay-at-home warning as hail, torrential rain and strong winds battered the city.
As Storm Melissa ravages the Iberian Peninsula, residents have been advised to take “extreme precautions” and avoid travel in affected areas.
The severe storm caused major disruptions at Barcelona’s El Prat Airport, with at least 47 cancellations reported for both domestic and international flights, Spanish news outlet La Vanguardia reported.
A graphic on flight tracking site Flightradar shows a number of planes on the ground this morning.
Air traffic control authority Enaire said in a statement about
‘We continue to monitor the weather’
The operator also advised passengers to check the status of their flights before travelling, as rains caused delays of 60 to 90 minutes.
Megastorm Melissa ravaged the Iberian Peninsula on Thursday and caused severe disruption in Spain. Video footage shows Mallorca residents running for cover amid aggressive storm
Roads turned into rivers in Barcelona on Thursday as heavy rains caused waterways to overflow
Chart shows parts of the Spanish coast hit by the storm
Barcelona fire crews responded to 39 incidents caused by heavy rains until 10:00 local time this morning.
At least 16 rescues were carried out in elevators due to power outages or flooding that trapped people.
Elsewhere in the Catalonia region, a building in the town of Badia del Valles was evacuated due to the possibility of its roof collapsing.
No injuries were reported but several local residents had to be rescued after becoming trapped in their cars.
The storm caused many waterways to overflow in the Catalonia region.
Images on social media show that the streets in the Cerdanyola del Vallès municipality near Barcelona were flooded after the Sec river overflowed.
Other videos showed a garage completely submerged in rainwater.
President of Catalonia, Salvador Illa Roca, called for maximum precautions in his post on X: ‘In the face of these heavy rains we are experiencing in Catalonia, I continue to call for maximum precautions.
Graphic shows a series of grounded flights at Barcelona’s El Prat airport on Thursday morning
Roads turned into rivers in the Catalonia region of Spain as heavy rains caused waterways to overflow. Video shows a flooded street in the municipality of Cerdanyola del Vallès in Catalonia
This video shows the Sec River in Catalonia overflowing
A garage is seen flooded in Catalonia after storm Melissa hit the region
‘It is important to follow @emergegencycat’s instructions, avoid unnecessary travel and avoid approaching rivers, streams and streams,’ he wrote.
Elsewhere in Spain, locals stranded by severe storms ran for cover.
Palma de Mallorca in the Balearic Islands was brought to a near standstill by hail and rain, while dozens of delays were also reported at Palma airport.
The holiday spot, popular with sun-loving Brits, was put on orange alert this morning as the island braced for the storm.
Other videos shared on social media showed locals panicking due to hail and thunder and running for cover.
Images taken at Palma Airport show a flooded runway.
On the party island of Ibiza, heavy rain accompanied by heavy thunder this morning caused various road accidents.
A woman caught in a severe storm in Palma de Mallorca took cover
Cars struggle to navigate flooded streets in Barcelona after Spain was hit by Mega Storm Alice
Waves exceeding five meters were recorded in the northwestern region of Galicia, with winds reaching 80 kilometers per hour.
The severe storm is expected to continue throughout the day and the worst conditions will be experienced in Andalusia, Galicia, Catalonia and Aragon regions.
This is the latest storm to hit Spain after Mega Storm Alice hit the country’s Costa Blanca last month, leaving British tourists stranded.
A graphic shared by flight tracking site Flighradar24 showed a number of planes circling Alicante airport due to travel disruptions.
The weather events in Spain come a year after the Valencia region suffered devastating floods that killed more than 230 people.
The natural disaster was one of Europe’s deadliest disasters in memory.
Heavy rains caused tsunami-like floods that ravaged hard-hit suburbs of Valencia and elsewhere.
In total, 229 people died in Valencia, while eight more died in other parts of Spain.
The runway at Mallorca Airport was damaged by strong winds and heavy rain
The floods caused an estimated 17 billion euros in damage, according to a report published this year by the Valencia Institute for Economic Research.
Experts and the government said the floods were a sign of the dangers of climate change, which is intensifying extreme weather events around the world.
