Spain's Valencia region on red alert for torrential rain
Spain's national weather agency issued a red alert Monday for torrential rains for the eastern region of Valencia, where deadly floods struck last year.
The warning came a day after a storm swept through the neighbouring region of Catalonia, leaving 18 people injured, including one seriously.
National weather agency AEMET said its highest red alert would be in place for the coast of Valencia until midnight, warning of "extraordinary danger" and the risk of flash floods.
Earlier on Monday the agency downgraded its alert level for Catalonia a notch from its highest red level to orange, signalling a "significant risk of rain".
Videos circulating on social media showed torrents of mud carrying away cars and debris on Sunday in the region, as a storm swept through the region.
READ ALSO: What exactly is Spain's 'DANA' weather phenomenon?
Aemet posted the latest alert levels on social media, stating:
(12:56 h) New update of warnings for the #DanaAlice storm and rainstorm. The Emergency Coordination Centre:
Raises from orange to red the alert for rain on the south coast of Valencia.
Maintains:
Orange alert for rain and storms along the entire coast of Castellón and Valencia and north coast of Alicante.
Yellow alert for rain and storms in the interior of the three provinces and south coast of Alicante.
— Emergències 112CV (@GVA112) October 13, 2025🚨(12:56 h) Nueva actualización de las alertas por el temporal de lluvias y tormentas #DanaAlice.El Centro de Coordinación de Emergencias:🟠➡️🔴Eleva de naranja a roja la alerta por lluvias en el litoral sur de Valencia.Mantiene:
🟠Alerta naranja por lluvias y tormentas en… pic.twitter.com/bJw2rujhJ3
Firefighters responded to dozens of calls from people trapped in vehicles or requiring assistance to remove fallen trees or debris from rockslides, it added.
In Santa Barbara, one of the hardest-hit towns, mayor Josep Lluis Gimeno described the damage caused by the storm as "historic", particularly to farms in the area.
"We can't even find the manhole covers. We can't find anything. Everything is uprooted," he told local radio.
Heavy rains forced the temporary closure of key roads and railway lines and led to university shutdowns.
The AP-7 highway along the Mediterranean coast reopened on Monday morning, but authorities reported severe traffic congestion, with one lane still closed in each direction.
Widespread flooding in Valencia in October 2024 killed more than 200 people in Spain's worst such disaster in decades.
Scientists say that a hotter atmosphere, which holds more water evaporating from the rapidly warming Mediterranean Sea, increases the risk and intensity of flooding from extreme rainfall in the region.
READ ALSO: Weather warning lowered in Catalonia, 18 injured in torrential rain
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