THIS is the moment a violent storm wreaked havoc across Valencia as lightning bolts ignited fires and powerful winds damaged buildings and trees.
More than 4,000 lightning bolts struck the province during a raging thunderstorm on Thursday, sparking at least nine forest fires and sending firefighters scrambling to contain the blazes.
Torrential rain and hail battered the region throughout the day, while winds of up to a staggering 149 km/h felled trees and ripped part of the roof off the 16th-century Santa Caterina church in Alzira, south of the city.
Shocking footage shows a palm tree bending under violent gusts before being felled as heavy rain swirled through the streets of Alzira.
Spain’s weather agency AEMET had placed the area under an orange alert in the hours before the storm hit, with emergency services responding to more than 120 incidents before it moved on around 9pm.
The storm caused widespread disruption across the province, with fallen trees blocking roads and bringing delays to rail services between Alzira and La Pobla Llarga.
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Rainfall reached 84.4 litres per square metre in Barxeta, with more than 50 litres falling in just one hour.
Meanwhile, temperatures plunged by almost 20C in parts of the province as the storms swept through.
In Carcaixent, the mercury dropped from 38.7C to 20.4C in just one hour, according to AEMET.
The most serious fire broke out between Segorbe and Gatova in the Sierra de la Calderona after a lightning strike hit the area at around 8.06pm.
Firefighters battled the blaze overnight, with 11 forest-fire units and a water tender from the Valencia regional government joined by four crews from the Valencia and Castellon fire services.
The fire spread across two fronts in difficult terrain, prompting authorities to shut the CV-25 road near Altura.
Aerial firefighting crews were brought in at first light on Friday as cooler temperatures and higher humidity offered more favourable conditions for tackling the flames.
Other lightning-sparked fires were reported in Tavernes de la Valldigna, Alcudia de Veo and Siete Aguas, although firefighters managed to extinguish or stabilise them.
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