Heavy rainfall turned roads to rivers in sunny Spain on Thursday, as the country was struck by mega storm Melissa, leaving hundreds of tourists stranded in airports and locals running for cover.
Barcelona has issued a stay indoors warning as the city was battered by hail, torrential rain and strong winds.
Residents were urged to take ‘extreme precautions’ and were advised to avoid travelling in the affected areas as Storm Melissa swept across the Iberian Peninsula.
The violent storm caused major disruptions at Barcelona’s El Prat Airport, with at least 47 cancellations reported for both domestic and international flights, Spanish news outlet La Vanguardia reports.
A graphic on flight tracking website Flightradar showed a number of grounded aircraft this morning.
Air traffic control agency Enaire said in a statement on X: ‘The bad weather with heavy storms in the northeastern peninsula is affecting operations and is causing safety regulations at #Barcelona-#ElPrat airport.
‘We continue to monitor the weather evolution’.
The operator also advised passengers to check the status of their flight before travelling.
Mega storm Melissa swept across the Iberian Peninsula on Thursday, causing severe disruptions across Spain. Video grab shows Mallorca residents running for cover in the midst of an aggressive thunderstorm
Roads turned to rivers in Barcelona on Thursday as heavy rainfall caused waterways to overflow
Graphic shows storm striking parts of coastal Spain
Barcelona firefighters had responded to 39 incidents caused by torrential rainfall by 10am local time this morning.
At least 16 rescues were carried out in elevators due to electrical failures or flooding that left people trapped.
Elsewhere in the region of Catalonia, a building was evacuated in the town of Badia del Valles due to the possibility of a roof collapsing.
No injuries were reported, but several other local residents had to be rescued after becoming stranded in their cars.
The storm caused several waterways to overflow in the region of Catalonia.
Footage on social media showed flooded streets in the municipality of Cerdanyola del Vallès, near Barcelona, after the Sec river overflowed.
Other videos showed a garage completely submerged in rainwater.
The President of Catalonia Salvador Illa Roca called for maximum caution in a post on X.
Graphic shows a number of grounded flights at Barcelona’s El Prat airport on Thursday morning
Roads turned to rivers in Spain’s Catalonia region after heavy rainfall caused waterways to overflow Video grab shows a flooded street in the Cerdanyola del Vallès municipality in Catalonia
River Sec in Catalonia is seen overflowing in this video grab
A garage is seen submerged in water in Catalonia after the region was struck by mega storm Melissa
‘In the face of this episode of torrential rains we are experiencing in Catalonia, I continue to ask for maximum caution.
‘It is important to follow the instructions of @emergenciescat, avoid unnecessary travel, and not approach rivers, streams, and gullies’, he wrote.
Elsewhere in Spain, locals ran for cover as they were stuck by violent thunderstorms.
Over in the Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca was nearly brought to a standstill due to hail and rain, with dozens of delays reported at Palma airport.
The holiday hot-spot, which is popular among sun-seeking Brits, was placed on orange alert this morning as the island braced for the storm.
Other videos shared on social media showed panicked locals running for cover as they were struck by hail and thunder.
Footage taken of Palma Airport showed a flooded runway.
As for the party island Ibiza, torrential rains caused various road incidents after rainfall, accompanied by intense thunder, began to lash down this morning.
In the northwestern region of Galicia, waves of more than five metres were recorded, with winds reaching 80 kilometres per hour.
The violent storm is expected to continue throughout the days, with the worst conditions expected in the regions of Andalucia, Galicia, Catalonia and Aragon.
