One dead after torrential rain and flash floods hit Barcelona region

North-eastern Spain has been hit by torrential rain and flash floods, leaving one person dead and causing widespread disruption across the region.

Spain’s national weather agency AEMET issued warnings for heavy rain across eastern regions on Wednesday, including a red alert for Barcelona’s coastline.

Rescuers recovered the body of a man on Thursday in Olivella, around 40km (25 miles) west of Barcelona, after his car was swept away by a stream, authorities said.

The deluge has disrupted travel across Catalonia and Valencia, with flights cancelled and roads submerged. Authorities have advised against unnecessary travel, while Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned of “very complicated situations”.

Emergency services in Catalonia said they received more than 850 calls related to the downpours and catalogued over 500 incidents.

Catalan firefighters said on X on Thursday that they had recovered the “lifeless body of a man” in Olivella, correcting earlier reports that had identified the missing person as a woman.

Videos shared on social media showed partially submerged cars and rescue workers attempting to reach a vehicle trapped in a heavily flooded underpass.

In Barcelona, some metro stations were closed and buses diverted, while regional trains were disrupted and flights delayed or cancelled at El Prat airport.

Neighbouring Valencia had more than 70mm (2.76in) of rain fall in just half an hour in several municipalities, according to AVAMET.

“Rarely have we seen such rainfall accumulations in 30 minutes,” the meteorological association said on X.

Emergency services reported 478 incidents in the Valencia province, mostly involving property damage, leaks and traffic disruption.

In the regional capital, all metro lines were suspended and the city’s airport shuttered for several hours, causing flights to be diverted.