Monday, 13 October 2025, 10:12

‘Dana’ (cold drop storm) Alice, which shook the Valencia and the Balearic Islands regions hardon Saturday, 11 October, has also hit the province of Tarragona in Catalonia hard. Fortunately, no missing people have been reported, despite the images of streets turned into rivers and cars being swept away by the force of the water.

The emergency services were put to work to attend to numerous incidents due to the torrential downpours. Firefighters rescued 38 people from vehicles. The torrential rains forced the closure of the AP-7 motorway between Ulldecona and Freginals (Montsià), the N-340 and several other roads in the area. The local trainline R16 was also interrupted.

Severe weather warnings for Monday, 10 October 2025

Severe weather warnings for Monday, 10 October 2025

Aemet

Similarly, the rail link between Barcelona and Valencia and the Euromed train service were suspended, affecting 17 trains with some 3,000 passengers unable to travel. The Generalitat regional government in Catalonia declared an emergency situation, according to the plan for flood prevention and management.

The 112 emergency services received more than 1,500 calls, resulting in some 1,000 call outs, most of them concerning ground-floor floodings in the Montsià area. Central government offered resources, including Spain’s UME military emergency unit, who will intervene if it becomes necessary.

Regional minister Parlon said that the Red Cross and town halls are attending to people in need. Between 300 and 400 people in Amposta, in the Montsià district, spent Sunday night in the municipal sports centre. Some of them were drivers and passengers whose journeys had been interrupted due to the road closure. The same happened in Freginals, where some 200 people received similar care, as well as in Ulldecona, Alcanar and Santa Bárbara, after their mayors reported a storm of unusual intensity. Thankfully, the electricity supply was not affected and people could still receive the emergency alert on their mobile phones.

The situation caused by Alice spread great alarm in towns such as Godall, where the barely 600 inhabitants were hit by overflowing street rivers. Several cars were swept away. The alert for heavy rain in the area was activated in the afternoon. Hours later, it was extended to the districts of Baix Ebre, Baix Camp, Ribera d’Ebre, Tarragonés and Terra Alta. Classes and non-urgent healthcare activity have been suspended on Monday. Regional ministry of health sources have stated that urgent healthcare, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and dialysis will be maintained.

“We have to limit risks and minimise travel,” said president of the Generalitat Salvador Illa, who called an emergency meeting for this Monday morning.

The mobile phone alert asked residents and travellers to limit movements, not to go near rivers and ravines and to follow the instructions of the authorities. State meteorological agency Aemet issued a red alert until midnight on 13 October, with the possibility of 90mm and up to 180mm in 12 hours. The danger level was six out of six.

The first heavy rainfall forced the AP-7 motorway between Freginals and Ulldecona to be closed in both directions around 6.20pm. As a result, mandatory detours were made in the southbound direction in La Aldea and in Ulldecona in the northbound direction.

Aemet forecasts unstable weather conditions in inland areas and the eastern Mediterranean coast this Monday. Heavy rains are expected in Aragon, the Balearic Islands, Castilla-La Mancha, Catalonia, Navarre and Valencia.