FORECASTERS have placed northern Alicante and Valencia under an orange weather alert for torrential rain today.

The incoming storm is taken so seriously that parks have been shut and school classes have been suspended ahead of fears of flash flood in the region.

Spain’s state meteorological agency, Aemet, has warned that severe storms and downpours will batter the eastern seaboard from 2pm on Thursday through to midday on Friday.

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The orange alert covers the coastline and prelitoral areas of Valencia, Castellon, and the northern tip of Alicante province, taking in major expat enclaves along the northern Costa Blanca.

Forecasters expect localised deluges of up to 60mm in just one hour amid persistent rainfall possibly breaking the 160mm mark across a 12-hour period.

The downpours bring a severe risk of flash flooding and swollen rivers, with authorities warning that dry ravines, known locally as ramblas, could rapidly overflow.

Violent wind gusts of up to 100kph and large hail measuring between 2cm and 4cm have also been forecast to hit exposed communities.

Around 20 town halls across the region have already suspended classes either fully or partially to keep children and staff off the roads.

In Valencia city, education chiefs suspended all in-person classes for Thursday and Friday across flood-prone neighbourhoods and districts previously devastated by DANA storms.

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Adult training schools and day centres in the city will also remain closed, while Valencia’s universities have moved a substantial portion of lectures online.

Municipal workers in Valencia closed all public parks, gardens, and urban libraries at 12pm on Thursday, alongside the city’s cemeteries.

The Jardín del Turia, the sunken park that snakes through the old riverbed in the centre of the city, has also been cordoned off to the public.

Cultural and outdoor sporting events have been cancelled, including a concert at the Palau de la Música and an official gathering for the International Day of Older Persons.

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Street markets in Cabanyal and Torrefiel wrapped up early on Thursday afternoon, while Friday markets scheduled for Benimaclet, Malva-rosa, Monteolivete, and Castellar-L’Oliveral have been called off.

In a further preventive step, the city’s Devesa department asked the water board to open the sluice gates at the Albufera lagoon to drain water levels into the Mediterranean ahead of expected runoff.

Emergency officials have urged residents not to travel unless strictly necessary.

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