The storm is reactivated in the Ebro: during the night nearly 200 litres have fallen and several points have been flooded

BarcelonaThe heavy downpours that have battered the Terres de l'Ebre during the early hours have not ceased. In fact, this Friday, they have reactivated with force early in the morning. The Meteorological Service of Catalonia (Meteocat) has issued a new warning for rainfall intensity of risk 6/6, valid between 6:20 and 9:20 a.m., as more than 90 liters per square meter could be exceeded in three hours in Baix Ebre and Montsià.

The text, disseminated through mobile phones, warns of significant flooding, asks the population not to go outside, and recommends accessing upper floors if flooding is detected in the ground floors of buildings.

The torrential rains in this same area have already left up to 192 liters per square meter accumulated in Mas de Barberans and 147 in Tortosa over the last 24 hours, and during the night they have caused flooding in streets and caused ravines to overflow. The Fire Department has responded to 50 alerts in the two regions between eleven at night and six in the morning, while the Ebre Emergency Region has accumulated 71 since the evening. The majority have been due to flooding in ground floors, mobility problems, and electrical incidents.

The 112 emergency telephone has received 242 calls as of six in the morning. In any case, for the moment, there have been no significant incidents, notes Civil Protection. The situation of the ravines of the Cardó and Gaviots mountain range, and the Galera ravine, worries the emergency services. The Pelós ravine has overflowed in Santa Bàrbara and several streets in Tortosa have been flooded. There are four roads closed: sections of the C-12, the T-1025, the TV-3421 and the T-331.

The Minister of Interior and Public Security, Núria Parlon, has asked the public for "maximum caution and prudence" in the face of this episode and to be "alert" to warnings. She said this in a statement from the CECAT (Operational Coordination Centre of Catalonia), which has been active throughout the night monitoring the heavy rains. During the day, before 10 p.m., the Generalitat Fire Brigade had also responded to around fifty calls due to the rains across the country and the 112 emergency number had already received 190 calls, none of them involving a notable incident, according to Imma Solé, deputy director of Civil Protection.

In parallel, one person had to be taken to a hospital centre this Thursday following the rain episode. According to Civil Protection, the person had injuries of a less serious nature. The Government also indicates that the Medical Emergency System (SEM) has received thirteen alerts with a total of twelve people affected.

First cancellations

Furthermore, in view of the forecast that heavy rain will continue in the south of the country this Friday, several municipalities in Montsià and Baix Ebre have suspended classes. Specifically, there will be no school in all the towns of the Montsià region –Alcanar, Amposta, Freginals, la Ràpita, Mas de Barberans, Masdenverge, Santa Bàrbara– and in Deltebre. In Tortosa, for now, municipal facilities have been closed, but the suspension of classes has not been confirmed. In these areas, municipal facilities and spaces have also been closed as a preventive measure.

Rainfall records have increased considerably overnight: 192 litres per square metre have accumulated in Mas de Barberans and 147 in Tortosa in the last 24 hours. The director of the Meteorological Service of Catalonia, Sarai Sarroca, explained that after a few hours with more local and disconnected precipitation, the situation could intensify during the early hours of the morning. In a briefing to the media, the head of forecasting at Meteocat, Santi Segalà, warned that the storms may be accompanied by violent weather phenomena, such as tornadoes, waterspouts or strong gusts of wind. The rainfall may continue during the morning and extend towards the Camp de Tarragona area.

Suspensions also at Renfe

The heavy rains, once again, are also impacting mobility. Renfe has announced the suspension of several long-distance services on the Mediterranean corridor between Catalonia and the Valencian Community due to the storm. Regional trains have also been affected, and there have been changes to routes. Railway circulation remains conditioned by the evolution of the rainfall and safety inspections of the infrastructure.

The Valencian Community, on red alert

The Valencian Country is also being a victim of the heavy downpours. The rains that have fallen so far in Castelló have left accumulations exceeding 100 litres per square metre in several spots and have led the Valencian Government to send three ES-Alerts. The episode has also caused flooding and mobility disruptions.

The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) has activated a red alert for rain in areas of Castellón and the coast of Valencia, given the forecast that very significant amounts of precipitation will accumulate in a few hours. In addition, fifty municipalities have suspended classes this morning, including some of the towns most affected by the DANA two years ago, in view of the forecast for continued rain.