Brits planning a Spanish getaway are being urged to brace for potential chaos as ‘severe flooding’ wreaks havoc across the country.
The UK Foreign Office has updated its travel advice for Spain, flagging intense floods that have already claimed at least 63 lives, according to early reports. Torrential downpours have triggered flash floods and hailstorms have lashed various regions. Near Valencia, in the town of Chiva, over a year’s worth of rain was recorded in a mere eight hours.
To tackle the crisis, more than 1,000 troops have been mobilised for rescue efforts. On October 30, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) updated its travel advice to read: “Severe weather and flooding is affecting many areas of Southern and Eastern Spain, particularly the Valencia region and Castilla La Mancha. Journeys may be affected. Check the latest weather warnings from Spain’s meteorological office before you travel and follow instructions from local authorities.”
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The catastrophic floods have seen cars swept away, village streets transformed into torrents, and significant disruptions to transport, marking one of Spain’s most devastating natural disasters in recent times. Emergency crews are conducting aerial rescues to evacuate residents and motorists. With mud-laden floodwaters propelling vehicles through streets, there’s growing concern that the death toll could continue to rise.
Churning mud-coloured waters swept through areas from Malaga down to Valencia as emergency teams come to the rescue of those trapped in their homes. Terrifying images and video shared from the areas affected have shown the several-feet high rapid waters sweeping away cars.
Carlos Mazon, the regional president of Valencia, has urged residents to stay indoors, while Spain’s central government has established a crisis committee to aid in coordinating rescue efforts.
Those who have a trip booked to Spain this week should check the FCDO travel page at regular intervals before travel for any updates, while also keeping abreast of any weather warnings from Spain’s meteorological office. If flying, make sure you have read all updates from your airline ahead of travelling to the airport.
A spokesperson for Ryanair told the Mirror: “Please refer to our website HERE for the latest updates on Storm Dana. We are advising passengers who have been affected by the storm to check their Ryanair app for the latest updates on their flight.”
The majority of flights into and out of Valencia’s airport this morning were delayed by one or two hours, but cancellations were minimal. There are not reports of much disruption in other, less-impacted parts of the country.
An orange warning for “very heavy showers” remains in place for areas of Spain for at least two more hours, as of an update at around 11am UK time. Agencia Estatal de Meteorología said people in some areas, including Valencia, will have less rainfall.
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