Eastern Spain is grappling with severe flooding brought on by torrential rain that has caused significant damage. On Thursday, local authorities took precautionary measures by evacuating schools and closing roads in a bid to protect residents. The situation has been exacerbated by the recent memory of deadly flash floods in Valencia last November, which claimed over two hundred lives, making the current alerts even more alarming for locals.

The state weather agency Aemet has issued orange alerts for various regions, including Murcia, Valencia, and Catalonia. Residents have been urged to remain indoors as the heavy rainfall is expected to continue throughout the weekend. Notably, in just twelve hours, some areas recorded up to one hundred and twenty millimetres of rain, far surpassing usual March levels.

Images broadcast on local television depict cars being washed away by rising waters, with emergency services rescuing trapped individuals from flooded vehicles. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported in the latest flooding, although one individual did lose their life earlier in the week after being swept away in a ravine.

Authorities, including the President of the Murcia region, Fernando Lopez Miras, expressed concern over how the weather took them by surprise, stating that there was no indication of such severe rain. With local vineyards and infrastructure suffering damage, officials continue to monitor the situation closely, as fears linger from the past tragedies associated with extreme weather events.