Heavy rainfall produces dangerous flooding in Spain
ByMary Gilbert, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Mar 21, 2022 11:40 AM EDT
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Updated Mar 24, 2022 11:13 AM EDT
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Ski resorts in France and Spain looked more like a desert than a ski resort on March 15, as Storm Celia brought dust from the Sahara Desert to parts of Europe.
Days of deluges across portions of Spain and Portugal have left some areas completely underwater this week as unrelenting rain continues to fall. AccuWeather meteorologists warn the worst may still be yet to come as more storms are on the horizon.
Rain began to fall on Monday and continued through Tuesday as a storm developed and slowly moved across the Iberian Peninsula, home to Spain and Portugal.
As of early Thursday, the city of Castellón had already received 4.72 inches (120 mm) of rainfall while other portions of the province recorded 2-4 inches (50-100 mm). In the Valencia province, many communities recorded close to 6 inches (150 mm) of rain in just 24 hours.
According to Spain's meteorological agency, Agencia Estatal de Meteorología (AEMet), following the rainfall early this week, March 2022 is now the wettest March on record for the Valencian Community. The AEMet records for the area date back to 1950.
Rivers quickly began to swell as torrential rainfall targeted eastern Spain. Early this week, dramatic video began to flow out of the country as local emergency crews kept a close eye on rising river levels, flooded areas and storm damage.
📸 @BombersValencia rescata 2 ocupants d'un vehicle a barranc de Quart de Poblet, amb bombers #Torrent. Bombers han accedit amb vestit sec, han tret els ocupants i ubicat la barca, mentre la resta dispositiu des de terra els han arrossegat sans i estalvis fins a la vora. pic.twitter.com/D6wifZGsOB
— Bombers Consorci VLC (@BombersValencia) March 21, 2022
Along the southern coast of Spain, heavy downpours on Thursday hit cities like Tarifa and El Arenosill, quickly dumping almost 4 inches (100 mm) of rainfall.
As AccuWeather forecasters warned early this week, the heaviest rainfall and the worst of the flooding thus far has centered along Spain's eastern coast.
"A very dangerous situation is unfolding across parts of the eastern coast of Spain," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys warned. "All of this rain has to go somewhere; therefore, there is a concern for significant flooding into Friday."
Any rain that forms will be slow-moving and will have the ability to tap into the abundant moisture available in the atmosphere, leading to periods of heavy rain across Spain as well as southern Portugal.
"By the end of the week, much of southern and eastern Spain could get 1-2 inches (25-50 mm) of rain while areas from northeastern Alicante to Castellón could encounter totals on the order of 4-12 inches (100-300 mm)," Roys explained.
In the hardest-hit regions where the heaviest downpours occur day after day, Roys says there is an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 20 inches (500 mm) of rainfall.
To put this in perspective, Spain's capital city of Madrid received just over 19 inches of rainfall (490 mm) for the entirety of 2021. While the city itself is forecast to be spared from the deluge, some locations in eastern Spain may receive as much rain this week as Madrid received in an entire year.
Rivers and streams may swell and overflow their banks after days of deluges. Residents living in communities located near rivers or streams may need to seek higher ground quickly as rain falls almost constantly this week.
Flash flooding will be likely where rain falls quickly enough that the overwhelmed ground cannot absorb it or where the ground is already oversaturated. In addition, the threat of landslides and mudslides will increase throughout the week for higher elevation areas as rain continues to fall and soil becomes unsteady.
Just last week, residents across the region attempted to go on about their days as normal, all the while dust clogged the sky, gave everything a rusty orange haze and significantly reduced air quality. The dust began to thin as the week progressed and eventually fully dissipated, allowing for better air quality to return.
While this week's rainfall will certainly help wash away any remaining dust caked onto hard-to-clean surfaces, it will come with a potent flood risk.
AccuWeather forecasters will continue to monitor the forecast across the European continent in the coming days but say there may be drier weather on the horizon by the weekend.
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News / Severe Weather
Heavy rainfall produces dangerous flooding in Spain
By Mary Gilbert, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Mar 21, 2022 11:40 AM EDT | Updated Mar 24, 2022 11:13 AM EDT
Ski resorts in France and Spain looked more like a desert than a ski resort on March 15, as Storm Celia brought dust from the Sahara Desert to parts of Europe.
Days of deluges across portions of Spain and Portugal have left some areas completely underwater this week as unrelenting rain continues to fall. AccuWeather meteorologists warn the worst may still be yet to come as more storms are on the horizon.
Rain began to fall on Monday and continued through Tuesday as a storm developed and slowly moved across the Iberian Peninsula, home to Spain and Portugal.
As of early Thursday, the city of Castellón had already received 4.72 inches (120 mm) of rainfall while other portions of the province recorded 2-4 inches (50-100 mm). In the Valencia province, many communities recorded close to 6 inches (150 mm) of rain in just 24 hours.
According to Spain's meteorological agency, Agencia Estatal de Meteorología (AEMet), following the rainfall early this week, March 2022 is now the wettest March on record for the Valencian Community. The AEMet records for the area date back to 1950.
Rivers quickly began to swell as torrential rainfall targeted eastern Spain. Early this week, dramatic video began to flow out of the country as local emergency crews kept a close eye on rising river levels, flooded areas and storm damage.
The Valencia Bombers, the official fire and rescue service for the province, released a stunning video of a rescue of a driver trapped in a box truck in rapidly-rising floodwaters late Tuesday. Rescuers worked in the darkness, only illuminated by searchlights to quickly free the driver as the water rose nearly to the height of the cab's window.
Along the southern coast of Spain, heavy downpours on Thursday hit cities like Tarifa and El Arenosill, quickly dumping almost 4 inches (100 mm) of rainfall.
As AccuWeather forecasters warned early this week, the heaviest rainfall and the worst of the flooding thus far has centered along Spain's eastern coast.
"A very dangerous situation is unfolding across parts of the eastern coast of Spain," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys warned. "All of this rain has to go somewhere; therefore, there is a concern for significant flooding into Friday."
Any rain that forms will be slow-moving and will have the ability to tap into the abundant moisture available in the atmosphere, leading to periods of heavy rain across Spain as well as southern Portugal.
"By the end of the week, much of southern and eastern Spain could get 1-2 inches (25-50 mm) of rain while areas from northeastern Alicante to Castellón could encounter totals on the order of 4-12 inches (100-300 mm)," Roys explained.
In the hardest-hit regions where the heaviest downpours occur day after day, Roys says there is an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 20 inches (500 mm) of rainfall.
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To put this in perspective, Spain's capital city of Madrid received just over 19 inches of rainfall (490 mm) for the entirety of 2021. While the city itself is forecast to be spared from the deluge, some locations in eastern Spain may receive as much rain this week as Madrid received in an entire year.
Rivers and streams may swell and overflow their banks after days of deluges. Residents living in communities located near rivers or streams may need to seek higher ground quickly as rain falls almost constantly this week.
Flash flooding will be likely where rain falls quickly enough that the overwhelmed ground cannot absorb it or where the ground is already oversaturated. In addition, the threat of landslides and mudslides will increase throughout the week for higher elevation areas as rain continues to fall and soil becomes unsteady.
These rounds of drenching rainfall began only days after Saharan dust worsened air quality and coated everything from cars and buildings to entire mountainsides for much of Spain and other portions of Europe.
Just last week, residents across the region attempted to go on about their days as normal, all the while dust clogged the sky, gave everything a rusty orange haze and significantly reduced air quality. The dust began to thin as the week progressed and eventually fully dissipated, allowing for better air quality to return.
While this week's rainfall will certainly help wash away any remaining dust caked onto hard-to-clean surfaces, it will come with a potent flood risk.
AccuWeather forecasters will continue to monitor the forecast across the European continent in the coming days but say there may be drier weather on the horizon by the weekend.
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