Part of Catalonia placed in red alert due to a risk of torrential rains

The Spanish authorities have placed a large part of Catalonia on red alert, a region located in the northeast of the country, due to a risk of torrential rains which led the operator to suspend rail traffic across the 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 (namely 90 liters per square meter) could fall in the space of an hour at the end of the afternoon near Barcelona and in the province of Tarragona, south of Catalonia. These “Torrential rains”which should last until early evening, weigh a high risk of“Floods”insists on his account x the AEMET, which invites the inhabitants to “Follow the recommendations of civil protection” Faced with a situation « extraordinaire ».

In addition to Catalonia, several regions of northern and eastern Spain were placed on orange alert because of these heavy rains, including Aragon and part of the Autonomous Community of Valencia. This region had been affected at the end of October by an episode of torrential rains that caused 227 people. The authorities, especially regional, had then been criticized for their lack of preparation and responsiveness.