British man among at least 90 people killed by flash floods in Spain
Parts of south eastern Spain have suffered apocalyptic devastation after a year's worth of rain fell in eight hours, as ITV News' Ellie Pitt reports
At least 95 people, including a British man, have died and many others are missing after flash floods swept through large areas of eastern and southern Spain.
It is the worst natural disaster to hit Spain in recent memory.
A 71-year-old British man died in hospital today after being rescued from his home in near Alhaurin de la Torre, Malaga.
The President of the Andalusian government said the man was "suffering from hypothermia and died after suffering several cardiac arrests".
Most of the deaths were in the east coast region of Valencia, while two people died in the Castilla La Mancha region near Madrid.
The government announced three days of national mourning as the death toll continued to rise.
Footage from Valencia showed brown-coloured waters tearing through streets, with cars swept away and reports of mud almost 30 centimeters deep.
Rescue workers are continuing to search for survivors and victims with countless numbers of people still missing in the southern and eastern parts of Spain, Malaga and Valencia.
A high-speed train with nearly 300 people on board derailed near Malaga, although rail authorities said no one was hurt.
Travel has been affected as the high-speed train service between Valencia city and Madrid was interrupted as well as several other commuter lines.
Around 1,500 people were stranded at Valencia airport overnight, waiting for their flights, as Britain's Foreign Office warned people travelling to Spain that journeys may be affected to to check the latest weather warnings.
Football games for Valencia CF and neighbouring Levante were postponed as both Real Madrid and FC Barcelona held a moments silence before their traning sessions on Wednesday.
The storm also unleashed a rare tornado and a freak hailstorm with ice the size of golf balls puncturing holes in cars and windows.
A video posted by Spanish broadcaster RTVE showed elderly residents trapped in a nursing home by the flood water which could be seen rising over their knees as they sat in chairs and wheelchairs.
In another video, a pet rescue centre in Sueca, Valencia posted a video of the dogs walking around in dirty flood water as they call for help to get the dogs out of the area.
Valencia's regional leader Carlos Mazon told reporters that some bodies had been found as rescue teams reached areas previously cut off by floods.
He said: "Unfortunately, we can confirm that some bodies have already been found, but out of respect for the families we are not going to give any more details."
He said regional emergency services have attended around 30,000 calls.
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said dozens of towns had been flooded and asked people to exercise "great caution" and avoid moving if possible.
He said: “For those who are looking for their loved ones, all of Spain feels your pain. Our priority is to help you. We are putting all the resources necessary so that we can recover from this tragedy.”
Relatives have been posting on social media and appealing on local television and radio to find their missing loved ones.
Spain's national police have now set up a phone number to assist the relatives of those missing.
“Yesterday was the worst day of my life,” Ricardo Gabaldón, the mayor of Utiel, a town in Valencia, told RTVE.
He said several people were still missing in his town.
“We were trapped like rats. Cars and trash containers were flowing down the streets. The water was rising to three meters,” he added.
Police and rescue services used helicopters to lift people from homes who were in danger of drowning.
Footage online shows a woman and her dog being pulled out of neck-high water surrounding a building by a rescue helicopter.
More than 1,600 soldiers from Spain’s emergency response units were deployed to the devastated areas.
President of the European Commission, Ursula Von Der Leyen said her thoughts are with the victims and families and that the EU is offering humanitarian support.
She said on X: "What we're seeing in Spain is devastating. My thoughts are with the victims, their families and the rescue teams.
"The EU has already offered support. Copernicus has been activated. The #EUCivilProtection can be mobilised."
According to Spain’s Meteorological Agency, a year's worth of rainfall fell within eight hours.
The storm is expected to continue into Thursday as authorities have issued a red weather warning this evening for Campiña gaditana near Cadiz, for heavy rain, the highest level given with a danger to life warning.
The areas covering Cadiz, Seville, Malaga, and Barcelona have also been given amber and yellow weather warnings for heavy rain tonight.
Spain has experienced similar autumn storms in recent years, and the country has recovered somewhat from a severe drought this year due to rainfall.
Scientists say that increased episodes of extreme weather are likely linked to climate change.
The Spanish government has set up a crisis committee chaired by Sanchez to coordinate the work of the Civil Guard, National Police, General Directorate of Civil Protection and the Military Emergency Unit.
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