Lorraine Williamson
Torrential rain has returned unexpectedly to Barcelona and surrounding areas, forcing firefighters to rescue 13 people and causing widespread disruption across roads, railways, the Metro, and Barcelona-El Prat airport. Catalan president Salvador Illa said Monday’s episode had not been anticipated by meteorological models and had surpassed forecasts, as authorities issued fresh emergency alerts across some of the areas already badly affected by the weekend’s storms.
The new downpours arrived on Monday morning after a weekend of exceptional rainfall that left two people dead in Catalonia. Residents in Barcelona, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, and several surrounding areas received ES-Alerts warning them to restrict travel, avoid outdoor activities, and stay away from rivers, streams, and other areas vulnerable to flooding.
Earlier alerts had been sent to Vallès Oriental and Maresme, while residents in Vallès Oriental were subsequently warned about the danger of streams overflowing. The renewed rainfall also affected Barcelonès, Alt Penedès, Garraf, Baix Llobregat, Vallès Occidental, and La Selva.
Illa says rainfall surpassed forecasts
Salvador Illa urged people to exercise “maximum caution” as the scale of the renewed rainfall became clear. He said the episode had not been forecast by the meteorological models and had surpassed predictions, with emergency services once again responding to serious incidents.
Granollers, in Barcelona province, was among the areas at the centre of Monday’s downpours. Heavy rain caused flooding across parts of the Barcelona metropolitan area and pushed rivers and streams towards dangerous levels.
Authorities urged people to avoid rivers, streams, basements, and other low-lying areas. Anyone whose home is threatened by rising water has been advised to move to upper floors rather than attempting to leave through floodwater.
Thirteen people rescued
Firefighters rescued 13 people in Vallès Oriental, most of whom had become trapped inside vehicles as water levels rose rapidly. Other rescues involved people trapped in ground-floor properties and lifts. No deaths have been reported from Monday’s renewed episode at the time of publication.
The incidents underline the danger posed by driving into areas affected by rapidly rising water. Emergency authorities repeatedly warn motorists not to attempt to cross flooded roads, even when the depth or speed of the water appears manageable.
Flights, trains and Metro services affected
Monday’s rainfall has caused disruption across virtually every form of transport in and around Barcelona. At least 30 flights were cancelled at Barcelona-El Prat airport, although that number could increase as airlines continue to adjust their schedules.
Rail passengers have also faced major problems. High-speed services between La Sagrera and Barcelona-Sants were interrupted following an infrastructure incident linked to the weather, affecting trains travelling between Barcelona and Girona. Meanwhile, numerous Rodalies lines continued to have sections without rail service.
Rodalies had already been working to restore services following the weekend’s extreme weather, with replacement buses operating on several affected sections while Adif inspected and repaired infrastructure. Services are being progressively restored where the railway can be operated safely.
Barcelona’s Metro has also been affected, with sections of the L1, L3, L4, L9 Nord, and L10 Nord experiencing disruption due to the rainfall. The combination of flooded roads and interruptions to public transport has made movement around parts of the metropolitan area particularly difficult.
Roads flood and schools suspend classes
Several roads have been closed or restricted due to flooding, landslides, and accumulated water. Problems have been reported on routes including the BV-5159, C-1415a, C-352, and GI-682, while drivers have also faced difficulties on other roads around the affected areas.
Flooding also affected Barcelona’s Ronda de Dalt during Monday’s intense rainfall. Authorities have continued to advise against unnecessary journeys in areas experiencing the worst conditions.
Some schools in Vallès Oriental and Maresme suspended classes because of the renewed storms. The disruption came as communities across both areas were already dealing with damage caused by the weekend’s historic rainfall.
A second blow after a deadly weekend
Monday’s storms come immediately after one of Catalonia’s most serious recent weather episodes. Torrential rain over the weekend caused widespread flooding, led to thousands of emergency calls and left two people dead.
Barcelona also experienced exceptional rainfall totals during the weekend, while rivers including the Besòs rose to dangerous levels. Roads, rail services, and other infrastructure were badly affected before conditions began to improve on Sunday.
The renewed rainfall means some of those same communities are dealing with another emergency before recovery work from the weekend has been completed. Meteocat warned on Monday morning that locally strong storms could produce significant rainfall accumulations over short periods.
Severe weather affects much of Spain
Catalonia is not the only part of Spain facing unsettled conditions on Monday. Nine autonomous communities have weather warnings for rain and storms, although the most severe conditions during the first part of the day have again been concentrated in Catalonia.
The latest episode is expected to gradually lose intensity, but emergency authorities continue to urge caution while waterways remain swollen and transport networks recover. Anyone in an affected area should continue to follow official Civil Protection advice and call 112 in an emergency.