Part of Catalonia placed on red alert due to risk of torrential rain

Spanish authorities have placed a large part of Catalonia, a region located in the northeast of the country, on red alert due to the risk of torrential rain, which led the operator Renfe to suspend rail traffic across the entire region on Saturday, July 12. The resumption of traffic will depend on the evolution of weather conditions.

According to the National Meteorological Agency (Aemet) , 90 millimeters of water (or 90 liters per square meter) could fall in the space of one hour late Saturday afternoon near Barcelona and in the province of Tarragona, in the south of Catalonia. These "torrential rains" , which are expected to last until early evening, pose a high risk of "flooding" , insists Aemet on its X account, which invites residents to "follow the recommendations of civil protection" in the face of an "extraordinary" situation.

In addition to Catalonia, several regions in northern and eastern Spain have been placed on orange alert due to the heavy rains, including Aragon and part of the autonomous community of Valencia. This region was hit by torrential rains in late October that killed 227 people. Authorities, particularly regional authorities, were criticized for their lack of preparation and responsiveness.