Popular tourist hotspots across Spain have been battered by thunderstorms and flash flooding, while Britain sweltered through its third heatwave of the summer over the weekend.
More than half of Spain’s 50 provinces were placed under weather warnings by the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) this week, as torrential rain brought chaos to streets, businesses and holiday plans.
Footage shared on social media showed rivers of floodwater sweeping through town centres, swamping shopfronts and restaurants. One video captured cars drifting along the swollen El Cardener river after it burst its banks, while others were seen completely submerged.
In the town of Tarazona, near Zaragoza, more than 100mm of rain reportedly fell in just one hour on Friday, forcing visitors to take shelter wherever they could. The deluge flooded high streets, damaged homes and businesses, and brought public transport to a standstill.
If the severe weather continues, it could inflict significant economic damage on some of Spain’s most lucrative holiday regions and ruin the travel plans of thousands of tourists.
Among the worst-affected areas are Huesca, Teruel, Zaragoza, Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, Tarragona and Castellon, according to The Sun.
Spain’s Military Emergency Unit (UME), a branch of the army responsible for disaster relief, has been deployed to Zaragoza to assist with emergency response efforts.
Heavy rainfall is expected to continue today across much of Aragon and Catalonia in eastern Spain, with further warnings issued for flooding and overflowing ravines.
The extreme weather comes amid soaring temperatures across Europe, where a blistering heatwave driven by a so-called "heat dome" has sent thermometers climbing to highs of 42C in some regions.
Back in the UK, temperatures have also remained unusually high. On Friday, the mercury reached 34.7C in Astwood Bank, near Worcester, as much of the country baked in unseasonable heat.
