Heavy rain in Catalonia

With more than 40 liters of rain falling in southern areas of Catalonia on Wednesday morning, the authorities warned of yet more downpours in the early evening, which could take the total rainfall up to 70 liters, especially in the area of Tarragonès and up along the coast as far as Baix Llobregat, just south of Barcelona. Yet, throughout the evening, the storms that caused the heavy rains are expected to lose intensity as they move northeast.

Some 45 liters of water fell in just half an hour in some places, such as the seaside town of Sitges, half an hour south of Barcelona, whose streets were turned into torrents. The authorities report that the worst rain was seen in coastal areas of Tarragona, especially in the seaside towns of Calafell, Vilanova i la Geltrú and Sitges. In Vilanova, heavy rain caused flooding in three schools, with the children sent home early as a precaution.

While no serious incidents were reported, the authorities warned that some streams and rivers could burst their banks due to the sudden accumulation of water. As for Catalonia’s fire service, it received 132 emergency calls between 7am and 1pm, especially in the Penedès and Garraf areas. Later in the morning calls began coming in from the Girona area, in the north of the country. Among the incidents firefighters attended were rescuing people who had become stranded in flooded areas.