Summary

Closer look: BBC reporter walks through devastated Valencia neighbourhood

Live Reporting

Edited by Jenna Moon and Robert Greenall, with Bethany Bell and Nicky Schiller reporting from Valencia

  1. Debris piles high as Spain battles flood waters

    We can now bring you new images showing the level of destruction that heavy rainfall has brought to Spain.

    Photos show debris strewn across roads. Cars swept away by the rain water can be seen piled high in roadways.

    A man inspects a pile of cars and debris that have been washed away by rain in Sedavi, Valencia.EPA

    A man inspects a pile of cars and debris that have been washed away by rain in Sedavi, Valencia.

    Residents stand outside their homes next to damaged belongings after floods in Utiel, SpainReuters

    People assess debris that has piled in the street in front of a residential building

    A woman climbs over debris that fills an alleyway.EPA

    A woman climbs over debris that fills a roadway in Valencia.

  2. France, Italy offer 'solidarity' and support to Spain after deadly flooding

    Earlier we told you a number of heads of state have offered support to Spain. More European leaders have since joined in offering their support to the flood-hit communities.

    Emmanuel Macron expressed his "solidarity" with those affected and guaranteed France's "availability" to assist with relief operations.

    Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni echoed the French president saying her thoughts are "with the families of the victims".

    Austria chancellor Karl Nehammer, whose country was rocked by flooding only last month, wrote on X: "Our thoughts and our solidarity go out to the Spanish people and the emergency services who are working around the clock."

  3. Weather warnings in effect across much of the country

    The Spanish Securities and Emergencies department has issued weather warnings across much of the country.

    In Castellón, Valencia and Alicante, residents are under both yellow and red rain warnings. Valencia is under a red alert through much of the state.

    A red warning precedes extreme or unusual weather events and is the departments most extreme alert. Yellow warnings indicate lower-risk weather.

  4. Number of people killed rises to at least 95
    Breaking

    The number of people killed in these flash floods has just risen to 95.

    Some 92 of those deaths were recorded in Valencia alone.

    A further two deaths were in Castilla-La Mancha and the other was in Malaga - the 71-year-old British man who we mentioned in our last post and whose death was reported by the Andalusian government's president.

  5. British man, 71, dies following floods in Malaga
    Breaking

    A 71-year-old British man has died in hospital hours after being rescued from his home on the outskirts of Alhaurin de la Torre, in Malaga, the president of the Andalusian government says.

    Juanma Moreno, in a post on X, says the man was "suffering from hypothermia" and died following several cardiac arrests.

    We've largely been following the flooding in Valencia today but other areas of southern Spain, including Malaga, were also hit with heavy rainfall and subsequently flooding.

    The official number of people killed by the floods still stands at 72.

  6. Before and after images show damage in flood-hit Letur

    Sophie Abdulla
    BBC News

    Before and after images showing destroyed road and nearby buildings in Letur

    Before and after images from one area in the small municipality of Letur show the damage inflicted by the floods on a road and its surrounding buildings.

    One person died in Letur from the floods.

    The president of Castilla-La Mancha visited this particular area this morning.

    Emiliano Garcia-Page says the main concern is to find "five missing people" in Sierra del Segura.

    More than 150 people from different public administrations are collaborating in the search and rescue operation, he says.

    Garcia-Page told Letur's residents that "they will not be alone in any way” and that he is asking the central government to declare the damaged municipalities as highly affected areas.

  7. Concerns raised over Spain's orange crop

    A file photo of a worker pouring a bucket of mandarin oranges into crates duringGetty Images

    Let's look now at a potential global ramification of these floods, which may not have been front of mind when news broke of this weather overnight.

    Large areas of farmland in Valencia, where 60% of Spain's oranges are grown, have been hit by the flash floods.

    ASAJA, one of the county's largest agriculture groups, says it expects "significant damage" to crops as a result.

    Farms in Valencia are responsible for almost two-thirds of citrus fruit grown in Spain, which is one of the world's top exporter of fresh and dried oranges, according to trade data provider the Observatory of Economic Complexity.

  8. Is this kind of weather event rare for Spain?

    Gareth Harvey
    BBC Weather

    Cars hanging over the side of a ride, near floodwater, in ValenciaEPA

    The Dana weather phenomenon, which we mentioned in our last post, is quite common in this region and most often occurs during the autumn.

    One study suggests that around 10 to 20 Dana events occur each year within the western Mediterranean and within the vicinity of Iberia. Though not all are as severe as the one Spain is currently experiencing.

    Previous significant rain events have impacted Valencia in the past. In October 1982, around 550mm of rain fell in some locations within 24 hours, ultimately leading to the failure of the Tous Dam in the Province of Valencia which killed 8 people form the subsequent flooding.

    In early November 1987, the La Safor region in the province of Valencia, saw 817mm of rainfall - a 24-hour record for Spain. And more recently, in mid-September 2019, the València, Murcia and Almería regions saw significant flooding after close to 500mm of rain fell over a couple of days.

    AEMET, the national meteorological agency of Spain, believes that the weather over the last couple of days is on par with the 1982 and 1987 events.

    However, the intensity of such rainfall events appears to be increasing due to climate change and rising global temperatures. Studies have suggested that Dana events in the autumn could also increase.

  9. Recap of the last few hours

    Both the rescue and clean-up operations are continuing in south-eastern Spain, meaning the situation is evolving and we're receiving updates all the time.

    But if you're just joining us, or need a refresher, here's what you need to know.

    Death toll and flooding aftermath: At least 72 people have died in flash floods that hit the south-east of Spain, and an unconfirmed number of people are thought to be missing. Valencia seems to be the worst hit city, with images showing piled up vehicles and destroyed neighbourhoods, and Spain's transport minister saying the high-speed line between the city and Madrid is significantly damaged.

    How the floods came about: Parts of south-eastern Spain saw more than a year's worth of rainfall in just eight hours - in part because of what's known as the Dana phenomenon, which you can learn more about here. Criticism has been directed towards the regional government of Valencia, which eliminated the Valencia Emergency Unit (UVE) upon taking office in 2023. Meanwhile, more than 1,000 troops have been deployed to help with the rescue operation.

    The weather forecast from now: As of this afternoon, Spain's state weather agencyAEMET forecasts the torrential rains will ease today, but areas of the coastal region will remain under a weather alert. The storm is heading north and warnings are now in place for north-eastern Catalonia.

  10. What next for Spain's weather?

    The Visual Journalism Team
    BBC News

    We’ve been looking at the forecast of Spain’s state weather agency, AEMET, to try and get a sense of what the next 24 hours holds.

    The severe rains that have battered Valencia will recede today, the agency says, though parts of the coastal region - home to more than five million people - remain under alert.

    The main takeaway is that the storm is heading north, with warnings now in place for the north-eastern region of Catalonia. "Alert for the north-east of the peninsula and western Andalusia: very heavy showers could happen," AEMET writes on social media.

    Here's a map we've created to show the places at risk:

    Map showing areas most at risk from rainfall in Spain, with Seville, Barcelona and Valencia regions highlighted

  11. Vehicles piled up on roads, damaged railway line and mounds of debris

    New images are coming through now showing the destruction in flood-hit areas of Valencia.

    People climb on piled up cars following floods in Sedavi, south of ValenciaGetty Images

    Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has promised to rebuild infrastructure that has been destroyed

    Cars are piled in the street with other debris after flash floods hit ValenciaGetty Images

    Footage from Valencia shows cars piled on roads - here we can see a street in the Sedavi area of Valencia

    Damaged cars lie amidst debris along damaged rail lines in the flood-hit city of ValenciaEPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

    Rail infrastructure has also been damaged in parts of the city - Spain's transport minister says damage to a line between Madrid and Valencia (not the one pictured) is significant and the service will resume in the next four days

  12. Death toll rises to 72 - reports
    Breaking

    The death toll has risen to 72 people, according to local media and officials, rising from the 62 confirmed deaths we reported earlier.

    Spanish newspaper El País says 70 are dead in Valencia, citing "government sources".

    And the leader of neighbouring Castilla-La Mancha region has reported two deaths.

  13. Alerts came half an hour before floods hit, says local mayor

    We're hearing more now from local mayor Consuelo Tarazon, who says they received "several" flood alerts before the floodwaters arrived in Horno de Alcedo.

    "The first alert was about half an hour before the flood started, the second alert when we had already gone up to the upper floors out of fear because the water had already reached one and a half metres, and the third one came this morning," she says.

    Referencing Inferno from Dante's epic narrative poem The Divine Comedy, she said the scene was "a vision of hell".

    "In my 58 years I've never seen anything like this in my life."

  14. Spain declares three days of mourning after flash floods

    Residents react in the flood-hit municipality of Mira, in the province of CuencaEPA

    Residents react in the flood-hit municipality of Mira, in the province of Cuenca

    More now from minister Ángel Víctor Torres, who has announced that Spain will observe three days of mourning from Thursday to Saturday.

    He told a news conference, following a crisis committee meeting, that Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez spoke with King Felipe VI and informed him of the official days of mourning.

    Spanish Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory Minister, Angel Victor Torres attends a press conferenceEPA

    Ángel Víctor Torres has announced three days of mourning

  15. 'The whole of Spain weeps with you', Spanish PM tells families of the missing

    Spanish Prime Minister of Spain Pedro SanchezEPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

    We reported on the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's speech a bit earlier, during which he warned citizens to remain careful, and told those in affected areas "we won't abandon you".

    In his televised address Sanchez also promised to rebuild infrastructure that has been destroyed, adding: "For those who are still looking for their loved ones, the whole of Spain weeps with you."

  16. Unclear how many people are missing, minister says

    Spanish emergency services members gather in the flood-hit municipality of MiraEPA

    Ángel Víctor Torres, minister for territorial policy, says the government is unable to provide official data on how many people are missing.

    Rescue operations are ongoing after more than a year's worth of rain fell in just eight hours, causing flash floods in part of south-eastern Spain.

    King Felipe VI spoke of the "enormous destruction" caused by the flooding and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said more than 1,000 troops have been deployed to help with the rescue operations.

  17. 'People had water up to their necks' , local mayor says

    Consuelo Tarazon, mayor of Horno de Alcedo, a town just outside Valencia, told BBC Newshour the town was "flooded in minutes."

    "The currents were so quick – and we called the emergency services who started rescuing some people who had water up to their necks", she says calling it “a total catastrophe”.

    She says the area is still flooded but authorities have responded well to the crisis.

    "I’m suffering from lots of anxiety at the moment. It’s been a really really hard night," she adds.

  18. King Felipe speaks of 'enormous destruction' following floods

    King Felipe speaking to press@CasaReal

    In the last hour, King Felipe VI spoke of his "devastation and concern" over the flash flooding.

    He speaks of "enormous destruction" to infrastructure and says there is still difficulty accessing some areas.

    "Along with the Queen, we would like to convey our condolences to all the families affected who have lost loved ones and who in some cases still do not know what has happened to some of their relatives," he tells Spanish media in a short news conference.

  19. Rescue teams search for missing while residents begin clear up

    The latest images from various flood-hit areas of south-eastern Spain are coming through from photographers on the ground.

    Here's what we're seeing:

    A number of rescue workers, wearing yellow hard hats and fluorescent jackets, search for missing people among a mound of mud and rubbleEPA

    Rescue teams search for anyone thought to be missing in Letur, in the province of Albacete

    A man uses a dustpan to remove muddy water from the front of his propertyEPA

    Meanwhile, those accounted for are beginning to clear up the damage brought to their homes, like this man in Picana, Valencia

    A man walks through a muddy watery road and looks to the right where a stack of cars sitEPA

    Footage from the floods showed cars dragged through streets - resulting in scenes like this in Picana

  20. Spanish authorities issue warnings over online misinformation

    Sophie Abdulla
    BBC News

    Local authorities in affected Spanish regions are issuing warnings over false information circulating on social media.

    In a post on X, the Manises City Council says information will be communicated through official channels and asks people to not disseminate "false information". It adds that there is no risk of overflow at the Manises Dam in the municipality.

    This sentiment is echoed in a post on the president of the Valencian government's Facebook account, which reiterated calls to follow information through official channels only - alongside a video statement from José Miguel Basset, the chief inspector of the Valencia Fire Department, clarifying that "no town in L’Horta Sud is being evacuated".

    Meanwhile, Valencia's environment ministry has issued a warning over false claims about drinking water in the city, saying there is “no risk of contamination”. Valencia City Council, in a post on X, added that drinking water in homes is "suitable for consumption and meets public health requirements".