TORRENTIAL rain has hit the Mediterranean coast triggering flash floods and leaving tourists stranded.
The extreme weather, driven by Storm Alice, has flooded streets, triggered emergency alerts and caused severe travel disruption.
Ibiza, Barcelona and Formentera are among the popular travel destinations affected.
At Ibiza Airport, air travel was temporarily suspended on Sunday evening after the flooding of a runway and parts of a terminal.
This led to at least 24 flight cancellations and delays and left travellers stuck in certain parts of the airport as others were closed due to power cuts and water leaks.
Other jet-setters were unable to reach the airport as the primary road leading to it was deemed unusable.
Meanwhile, train services between Valencia and Barcelona – two major tourist hubs – were interrupted due to the storm.
This suspension in train travel affected over 3,000 passengers, with many unable to find alternative routes because nearby roads were also closed due to floods.
In Barcelona and all across Catalunya, tourist streets have been turned to mud and at least 18 people have been injured. Some drivers have also been trapped in their vehicles.
The Balearic Islands have also been hit by the storm – in Ibiza over 100 incidents have been reported to the 112 emergency services, including flooded homes, fallen trees and road closures.
READ MORE: Orange alert for heavy rain and storms for parts of Costa Blanca and Valencia
Yellow and orange weather warnings remain for Ibiza and Formentera until Tuesday where experts have warned that some spaces could see up to 50mm of rain within an hour.
A red warning has been issued in Valencia running until midnight where up to 100mm of rain per m2 could fall in an hour.
Civil Protection officials are urging residents and tourists to remain indoors as they warn that conditions could worsen in the next few days.
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