Eastern Spain braces for torrential rain and flooding

Torrential rain and potentially damaging flooding are forecast in eastern Spain over the coming days, as cold upper air moves over the warm, humid surface air of the Mediterranean Sea, fuelling violent, slow-moving thunderstorms near Spain’s east coast. The weather pattern, known as a Dana, occurs most often in autumn.

Models show more than 100mm of rain could fall across the region on Friday, with 200-300mm possible in some areas. Cities including Valencia and Castelló de la Plana, with Valencia having experienced several damaging floods in recent years, are most at risk. Catalonia has now put three towns under lockdown and Valencia has shut schools for nearly half a million children.