Urgent Travel Warning Issued For Expats And Tourists As Spain’s Extreme Weather Returns

British expats and holidaymakers in Spain are being urged to take note of the Foreign Office’s urgent travel warning.

Following on from the earlier ‘worst storms in over a century’ in Valencia, the Foreign Office is now warning tourists and expats over more outbreaks of extreme weather. Last week, Valencia and its region suffered biblical floods, massive storms, flash floods and damage to property and vehicles, with the latest travel warning an indication there’s more of the same on the way.

Torrential rain is expected to cause flash flooding in Spain’s southern areas, with the majority of popular visitor and expat locations from Valencia to Almeria and Alicante now under yet another orange weather warning. Flights as well as road and rail transportation are expected to be affected, causing chaos for holidaymakers hoping for a late summer sun, sea and sand vacation. Expat properties are at risk in affected areas, with cars parked near fast-flowing rivers during the rainstorms at risk of being carried away by the force of flash floods.

The severe situation in Orihuela is now subject to a Level 1 Emergency notice, with a curfew in place and the Spanish Red Cross providing emergency shelters for those whose homes are flooded out. The local hospital is now only accepting emergency admissions until at least next Monday. Emergency rescue teams are now only attending major incidents at street level, and residents are being advised to check the city council’s social media sites for officially updated news. One car depot in the city saw its entire stock of dozens of new vehicles submerged in the flash flood waters, and all roads in the area are now closed in order to prevent access to the city.