A man carrying an umbrella walks on a muddied road past electricity cables following catastrophic flooding in Spain.
Credit: Reuters Photo
By Thomas Gualtieri
Spain’s weather forecaster issued red alerts for extreme rain, two weeks after deadly floods killed more than 220 people in the coastal region of Valencia.
As much as 180 millimeters (7 inches) of rain could fall in 12 hours on Wednesday in the province of Tarragona, which lies southwest of Barcelona, according to forecaster Aemet. There’s another red alert in the southeast, where up to 120 millimeters are forecast for Malaga, the country’s sixth-largest city.
Torrential downpours are continuing to hit the Mediterranean country, two weeks after record rains triggered Spain’s largest natural disaster in more than six decades. Such extreme storms, known in Spain as “danas,” are likely to become more common as climate change increases the frequency and intensity of heat waves. Record temperatures in the Mediterranean are strengthening their effects.
While the government has earmarked €14.4 billion in aid for the affected areas, frustration has mounted in the Valencia region over what residents feel is an inadequate response to the catastrophic event. Pressure has also built on regional president Carlos Mazon to step down, following delays in sending out flood alerts.
Orange warnings are also in place on Wednesday for the islands of Mallorca and Ibiza, plus parts of the east coast, including Valencia.