Barcelona on red alert for heavy rain as Spain continues to recover from floods

A British couple have died following flash flooding in Spain, as ITV News’ Europe Editor James Mates reports
Barcelona has been placed on red alert for heavy rain as the country braces for more “extreme and continued rainfall” following deadly floods in Valencia.
Flights have been diverted and trains suspended as authorities warned people to exercise “extreme caution”, restrict travel and stay away from flood-prone areas.
Aemet, Spain’s national weather service, put the Barcelona coastline on the highest alert due to the risk of an accumulated rainfall of 180mm in 12 hours. Baix Llobregat and surrounding areas are expected to be the most affected.
It comes just days after more than 200 people died after flash floods tore through towns and villages in southern and eastern Spain.
Authorities said they can still not give a reliable estimate of the number of those missing. The death toll is expected to rise as recovery efforts continue.
The flooding is the country’s worst natural disaster in recent memory.
Emergency services continue to search for bodies in Valencia and are focusing their search in a flooded underground car park.
It’s feared there are dozens of bodies in what is expected to be a long and complicated process involving police, firefighters and other responders.
Three British people are among those to have died in the floods last week.
On Monday, the Foreign Office said it was supporting the “family of a British man and woman who have died in Spain and are in contact with the local authorities.”
A 71-year-old British man also died after being rescued from his home near Alhaurin de la Torre, Malaga.
Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, posted on X: “The UK government expresses its heartfelt condolences to those affected by the tragic floods across Spain – our thoughts are with those that have lost their lives, their families and all those affected.
“I have offered the UK’s full support to my friend @jmalbares.”
On Monday morning, an alert for “extreme and continued rainfall” was sent to people’s phones in Barcelona, urging them to avoid any normally dry gorges or canals.
Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente said he was suspending all commuter trains in northeast Catalonia, a region with eight million people, on request from civil protection officials.
Puente said that the rain had forced air traffic controllers to change the course of 15 flights operating at Barcelona’s airport, located on the southern flank of the city.
Several motorways have been closed due to flooding.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez met King Felipe VI for a flood crisis meeting in Madrid on Monday.
It comes after residents threw mud and rocks at Spain’s king and queen on Sunday during a visit to the town of Paiporta, near Valencia, as anger continues to grow over the official response to the floods.
The regional government has also been heavily criticised for not sending out flood warnings fast enough.
The Spanish navy’s “Galicia” transport vessel arrived in Valencia’s port on Monday with marines, helicopters and trucks loaded with food and water to help with the relief effort, which included 7,500 soldiers and thousands of police reinforcements.
Subscribe free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning.
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know…