Barcelona is grappling with severe flooding as relentless storms, which have battered eastern Spain, have now reached the city, triggering a red alert and flooding key areas, including El Prat Airport. Torrential rains over the weekend have caused widespread disruption to travel, with highways submerged, rail services suspended, and several flights diverted from the flooded airport.
Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente announced that a crisis committee has been activated to monitor the impact, with authorities urging people to avoid travel unless absolutely necessary. So far, 50 flights have been diverted due to the hazardous conditions, and mobile alerts continue to warn residents of “extreme and continued rainfall.” Alarming footage from El Prat Airport shows the runway and parking areas underwater, with some travellers wading through flooded terminal halls. Authorities have also had to close several metro stations and roadways in Barcelona to keep residents safe and prevent more incidents.
In the southern Catalonia region, schools were shut down, and rail services were suspended after officials from civil protection requested action amid the dangerous weather. The intense storms follow last week’s deadly flooding that devastated Valencia and nearby areas, where efforts are ongoing to search for victims and retrieve vehicles and debris from floodwaters. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska stated that teams are still searching for missing individuals and that the true extent of the casualties is still uncertain. In the municipality of Aldaia near Valencia, around 50 emergency personnel continued their search in a flooded parking lot, where vehicles are submerged in at least a meter of water.
The country’s emergency services, assisted by thousands of soldiers, police officers, and volunteers, are working tirelessly on clean-up operations. This includes clearing mud and debris from buildings, roads, and canals. The Spanish national television network RTVE has broadcast emotional pleas from families searching for missing loved ones, highlighting the storm’s toll on communities.
As Barcelona and other parts of Catalonia contend with the latest floods, officials urge citizens to remain alert, avoid flooded areas, and seek shelter.