Barcelona on ‘extreme danger’ red alert as airport flooding cancels flights

A red alert warning of “extreme danger” has been issued for the Barcelona area as it is hit with rainstorms and floods, causing chaos for road, train and air traffic.

Catalonia’s regional government warned of “continuous and torrential” rain across the Barcelona metropolitan area and surrounding areas six days after flash floods devastated the Valencia region, killing more than 200 people. Residents have been asked not to travel and to avoid being near rivers, waterways and flood drains.

Footage showed water flooding tunnels and underpasses and there are reports of cars being carried away by torrents.

At least 50 flights at Barcelona’s El Prat airport had been cancelled or severely delayed, with the airport operator Aena advising travellers to check up-to-date information ahead of their journeys.

Videos showed the flooding around the entrances to the airports.

Spain’s state meteorological agency (Aemet) has issued a new red warning for the Barcelona coastline, because of an expected cumulative rainfall of 180 litres per square metre in 12 hours.

In Valencia last Tuesday, the regional authorities issued a generalised alert once many areas were already experiencing flooding at about 8pm, sparking anger that red alerts concerning heavy rainfall published by Aemet early that morning had not led to advance warning of the flood threat.

The search for bodies continues in the hard-hit region inside houses and thousands of wrecked cars strewn in the streets, on highways and in canals.

Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Spain’s Interior Minister, said that authorities can still not give a reliable estimate of the missing after reports that as many as 2,000 people were missing. (The Telegraph)

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