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Amid weather warnings for storms and heavy rain, more than 70 people have been killed after flash floods struck eastern parts of the country. Those in the worst-hit areas have been advised to stay at home.
Three days of mourning have been declared in Spain in the aftermath of storm DANA, which so far has killed more than 70 people. On October 29, weather warnings were issued in eastern parts of the country, primarily in the province of Valencia where a red alert was declared.
For the entire day, the region saw intense rainfall, which has been attributed to a phenomenon known as the ‘gota fría.’ It occurs when cold air moves over the Mediterranean sea, creating atmospheric instability and leading to the formation of towering cumulonimbus clouds in a matter of hours.
Though this takes place annually, on the ground sources say its effects have been getting progressively worse during the last decade.
Scientists assert that this is as a result of global warming, which will continue to bring about widespread changes in weather patterns without urgent intervention.
‘Events of this type, which used to occur many decades apart, are now becoming more frequent and their destructive capacity is greater,’ says senior state meteorologist, Ernesto Rodriguez Camino.
Today, the repercussions of storm DANA are being felt across Spain.
Valencia has been devastated, with Chiva – a municipality 40km from the coast – seeing an entire year’s worth (491mm) of rainfall in just eight hours.
Triggered by the torrential downpour, deadly flash flooding has caused pile-ups on highways, submerged villages and towns, and swept away bridges and buildings.
It’s also caused power outages affecting 140,000 people, school closures, and the suspension of trains and flights.
Emergency services have urged citizens to avoid all road travel and to follow further official advice. A military unit specialised in rescue operations was also deployed in some places to help local emergency workers.
It’s the worst natural disaster the country has witnessed in half a century.
Though they have now been advised to stay at home, residents in the worst hit areas have described watching people clamber onto the roofs of their cars as a churning tide of brown water gushed through the streets, uprooting trees and leaving ruin in its wake. ‘It’s a river that came through,’ one told Reuters.
‘The doors were torn away and I spent the night there, surrounded by water that was 2 metres (6.5ft) deep.’
‘For those who at this moment are still looking for their loved ones, the whole of Spain weeps with you,’ said Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in a televised address.
