Torrential Rain Brings Deadly Floods Back to East Coast of Spain

Torrential rain lashed the east coast of Spain, flooding roads and leaving at least one person dead.

The heavy rainfall started Wednesday in Valencia and Catalonia, reviving fears of a repeat of the devastating floods that killed more than 200 people in 2024.

The latest storm is being blamed for one death in Olivella, in the region of Barcelona, after a man was found 500 meters away from a vehicle that appeared to have been swept away by floodwaters, local firefighters said in a post on X.

At the end of October 2024, an intense “dana” storm — a common phenomenon in Spain at the time of year — devastated the Valencia region. Global warming is intensifying those systems in the Iberian peninsula, as the Mediterranean warms and higher air temperatures allow storms to hold more water.

🔴 Muntem dispositiu #bomberscat a Olivella per buscar una persona que hauria estat arrossegada pel corrent de la riera.

Avís rebut a les 23.03 h, després que un testimoni alertés que hi havia vist caure un vehicle.

Hi treballem amb 11 dotacions 🚒, amb #GRAESub i #DRONS pic.twitter.com/Hg25TeILFp

— Bombers (@bomberscat) September 16, 2026

A scheduled football match on Wednesday evening between Valencia’s Levante and Athletic Bilbao was suspended because of the storm. Valencia airport was closed Wednesday night due to heavy rains, but was reopened Thursday morning.

Levante UD v Athletic Club – LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27

The empty stadium as the match between Valencia’s Levante and Athletic Bilbao is suspended due to a storm, in Valencia, on Sept. 16.

Conditions improved on Thursday, but government forecaster AEMET warned that heavy rainfall is expected to continue further south, with up to 60 millimeters (2.4 inches) an hour falling near the port city of Cartagena.

Heavy rain, strong winds and hail are forecast to continue across the region through Friday, with similar conditions also expected along Spain’s north coast and the Balearic Islands, according to AEMET.

Top photo: The empty stadium as the match between Valencia’s Levante and Athletic Bilbao is suspended due to a storm, in Valencia, on Sept. 16. Bloomberg.