‘It was like a tsunami’: Spaniards recount horror of deadly floods

Yet the signs had been there.

On Tuesday morning at about 07:00 (06:00 GMT), Spain’s meteorological agency Aemet warned that torrential rains were forecast for the region of Valencia.

“Be very careful! The danger is extreme! Do not travel unless absolutely necessary,” it said on X, before issuing a “maximum red alert”.

Throughout the day, more alerts were put out, warning local authorities to prevent people from approaching the river banks.

By 15:20, the regional emergencies co-ordination centre was already publishing images of heavily flooded streets in the La Fuente and Utiel municipalities, west of Valencia.

A few hours later, it said several rivers in the area were swelling up and urged people to move away from the banks.

But in most places, it was already too late.

Chiva – about 20km away – was among the first to experience the full fury of the flash floods.

The deep ravine which traverses the town had reportedly been filling with water since Tuesday afternoon following heavy rains.

By 18:00 the town’s streets had turned into raging rivers, with the force of the water dragging away cars, street lamps and benches.

Emergency services scrambled to bring assistance across the region, but the speed at which the water filled the streets was unprecedented.