Floods and public transport disruptions: heavy rains leave more than 120 l/m² in Barcelonès

BarcelonaThe second day of the rain event brought torrential downpours once again. This time, the worst of it hit the Barcelonès region, where rainfall intensified throughout the afternoon and evening, falling persistently and heavily, often accompanied by thunderstorms and some hail. The most affected municipalities are those in the northern part of the region, especially Badalona, ​​where some neighborhoods, such as Llefià, recorded more than 120 liters per square meter. Some unofficial weather stations recorded even higher amounts. Sant Adrià del Besòs was also significantly impacted by the downpours.

All of this has led Civil Protection to activate the Inuncat flood plan at the alert level in the Barcelonès region. The rain is causing numerous incidents, with flooding in shops, basements, streets, and underpasses. The downpours are also wreaking havoc on public transport: there have been disruptions on metro lines L1, L2, and L3. In addition, several users have posted videos on social media showing how the tracks at some metro stations have flooded. Regarding traffic, there are intermittent closures on the Barcelona ring roads due to puddles created by the accumulated water. The B-20 highway is experiencing traffic jams in Santa Coloma de Gramenet because the flooding has forced the closure of one lane.

The 112 emergency hotline received nearly a thousand calls related to the heavy rain up to 8:00 PM, most of them after 2:00 PM. The Barcelona area accounted for 78.88% of the calls, followed by Vallès Occidental with 11.20% and Vallès Oriental with 1.87%. The Fire Department received 239 calls throughout the event, 131 of them in Badalona. Approximately 1,500 customers lost power due to the downpour in Badalona, ​​and sports centers remained closed. The Magic shopping center in the city also suffered significant water damage.

The rains have now moved away from northern Barcelonès and have shifted to the south of the region and the southern part of the Barcelona metropolitan area, although with less intensity. It is also raining in the Terres de l'Ebre and in parts of the Tarragona coast and pre-coastal areas. These rains will continue into the night in these areas of the southern half of the country.

In addition to the extraordinary rainfall in Badalona and other areas of northern Barcelonès, today's rain has been particularly heavy in the Terres de l'Ebre and the Barcelona area, with accumulations exceeding 30 or 50 l/m² in some cases. Notable figures include the 62 l/m² recorded in Amposta (Montsià) and the 55 l/m² in the Raval neighborhood of Barcelona. Outside the coastal and pre-coastal areas of the Barcelona and Tarragona regions, there has been little to no rain today in the rest of the country. After two days of rain, calm and sunshine will prevail tomorrow, with only a few scattered showers remaining in the south.