Severe thunderstorms and large hailstones have struck the Catalonia region of Spain, flooding streets, halting public transport and prompting warnings for British holidaymakers to stay indoors.
On Monday, a storm hit Camp de Tarragona, causing flooding in streets and plazas including Carrer Joan Baptista Plana, Imperial Tàrraco, Carrer Vidal i Barraquer, Carrer d'Apodaca, and Avinguda Prat de la Riba. Trees fell and bus services were cancelled due to the heavy downpours.
Emergency services respond to dozens of calls
Local fire services received 129 calls, 107 of them in the Tarragona region, over just an hour and a half as tree branches fell and electrical cables faced issues. Sonia Orts, the Councillor for Civil Protection and Mobility, said: "Fortunately, there are no reports of personal injuries."
Tarragona City Council is working to remove dangerous trees and has closed local parks due to the weather. Tourists and locals have been warned to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel, according to local media.
Red alert issued for violent weather
The Meteorological Service of Catalonia has issued a six out of six violent weather alert warning, with the risk of hailstones larger than two centimetres in diameter. Videos shared online showed pigeons lying still on the ground among high levels of water, reportedly killed by the strong hail.
Before reaching Tarragona, the storm also affected several other areas in the northeast, with regions across Spain experiencing wet and windy conditions. Local crops in several municipalities in Segrià, such as Almenar, Corbins, Albatàrrec, and Lleida city, have been impacted by hail.
Balearic Islands hit by hurricane-force winds
The stormy spells come after the Balearic Islands were blasted by hurricane-force winds overnight. In the early hours of Friday, winds peaked at 121 kilometres per hour. Tourists in Mallorca woke to scenes of scattered debris and flooded roads as the coastal area became victim to the bad weather. Several British holiday hotspots were affected by the strong winds and rain, including Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera.
