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Drivers trapped and motorways closed as rainstorms wreak havoc in Alicante
More than 50 litres per m2 fell in 20 minutes hour in Elche in the Baix Vinalopó region of Alicante province
Heavy rain and thunderstorms lashed much of Alicante province on Tuesday afternoon, June 13, leading to scenes of chaos as flash flooding led to road closures and strong winds felled trees and power cables.
Despite a weather warning for storms and downpours, police and fire crews were stretched, with the latter dealing with more than 20 emergency incidents in just six hours.
And several flights headed for Alicante-Elche airport had to be diverted due to the intense storms, with four of them redirected to the Region of Murcia International Airport.
The rains were pretty brief in parts, but intense across the board, and shocking images of burst drains, flooded streets, cars crushed by falling trees, vehicles trapped in rising waters and drivers being rescued from stranded motors have since surfaced.In Aspe, the rainstorm forced the closure of the busy N-325 towards Novelda for the second time in a fortnight. Torrential rain led to its closure at the end of May.
In Orihuela, a number of palm trees toppled in Avenida Doctor García Rogel and the Ocarasa park, and one had to be removed from the whole length of a car. Fortunately, there have been no reports of personal inuries.Some parts of the province were more overwhelmed by the deluge than others, in particular the Marina Alta, Baix Vinalopó and Vega Baja regions. In Elche (Baix Vinalopó), some 50 litres per m2 of rain fell in just 20 minutes.
In the Orihuela district of Raiguero de Poniente (Vega Baja), the accumulated rainfall reached 48 litres in less than an hour, and Forna (Marina Alta), recorded 47 litres per m2 in less than half an hour at midday.
The storms continued into the late afternoon, even increasing in intensity in parts, and Alicante firefighters reported a surge in call-outs from around 6pm until midnight when the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) weather alert was lifted.The shock hazardous conditions were brought about by yet another DANA, or cold drop, crossing the Iberian Peninsula from west to east, dumping intense wind and rainstorms on the province. Hail was also reported further inland.
Thankfully, the province will begin a period of atmospheric stability on Wednesday June 14 that will last until the end of the week. Skies will be clearer in the morning but give way to cloud in the afternoon accompanied by a gradual rise in temperatures. Rain isn't expected although isolated showers have not been ruled out. The outlook is looking pretty much the same for Thursday, with highs of around 30ºC.
Other related news: Spanish reservoirs refill following torrential rains
Images: Alicante Provincial Fire Department Consortium
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