AT least two people have died and a third remains missing after Barcelona was battered overnight by a fierce ‘Mediterranean mini-hurricane’.
A woman was killed when a wall at a campsite collapsed on top of her in Tordera, north of Barcelona, while a second person reported missing was found dead by firefighters on Sunday morning in Montornes del Valles.
A third person remains missing in Pineda de Mar as the region continues to deal with severe flooding, torrential rain and widespread disruption.
More than 6,000 calls have been made to the 112 emergency line with firefighters called out to more than 1,400 incidents.
The scale of the flooding was particularly severe in Granollers, north of the Catalan capital, where several became trapped in their cars after rivers burst their banks in the early hours.
Some were forced onto the roofs of their vehicles as floodwater swept through the area.
The area recorded a staggering 68mm of rainfall in just 30 minutes.
The storm has pushed several rivers and streams to dangerous levels, with authorities warning of a serious risk of further flooding as the rain continues to pour.
There is particular concern for the Besos river at Santa Coloma de Gramenet after it surged beyond danger thresholds overnight, reaching a flow rate of 520 cubic metres per second.
All access to the Fluvial del Besos park has been closed as a result.
Residents living near the river have received emergency alerts warning of a possible overflow.
The Civil Protection authority is also concerned about the Ripoll river in Montcada i Reixac, the Mogent river and the Tenes stream, with ES-Alert messages sent to mobile phones across the Valles Oriental, Maresme, Selva, Baix Emporda and Girones areas.
In central Barcelona, the city’s Raval observatory recorded 192mm of rainfall – making Saturday its wettest day in 20 years.
Records were also broken at outposts in Badalona, Sabadell and Zona Universitaria.
The storm has brought transport across Catalunya to a standstill.
All Rodalies sub-urban and medium-distance rail services have been suspended until further notice, apart from RL3 and RL4 services to Lleida and the R16 route between Tortosa and L’Hospitalet de l’Infant, which remain open subject to conditions.
High-speed AVE services between Tarragona and the French border have also been cancelled, with no resumption expected before midday.
The Red Cross assisted around 3,000 people at Sants and Camp de Tarragona train stations, as well as another 800 at Barcelona El-Prat airport.
Dozens of flights were cancelled and delays of up to four hours were recorded by passengers, with heavy rain even causing leaks in the air traffic control tower.
Travellers are urged to check the status of their flights with the airline before travelling to the airport.
Numerous roads have been closed due to flooding, landslides and rising water, including sections of the C-17, C-60, B-500 AND N-150.
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Catalan president Salvador Illa said the night had been ‘complicated’ and warned the emergency was far from over, adding: “The episode has not yet ended.”
State meteorological agency Aemet have issued a rare red ‘danger to life’ alert for extreme weather conditions, with the warning set to remain active for Barcelona until midday on Sunday.
The alert will remain in place until 9pm and midday for Girona and Ampurdan respectively as the storm cell drifts north towards France.
Movement restrictions remain in place across 20 coastal and pre-coastal regions until 2pm on Sunday.
Outdoor activities, parks, gardens, sports events and leisure activities have been suspended.
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