Freak storms swamp Spain and Italy as torrential rain, 100 kph winds batter the Mediterranean

Severe storms swept across parts of the north-central Mediterranean on Tuesday and into Wednesday, unleashing torrential rain, gusts reported near 100 kph and flash flooding that inundated streets, submerged vehicles and forced emergency rescues in Spain and Italy.

Video and still images from Spanish and Italian resort areas showed palm trees snapped, diners clinging to meals on drenched terraces and a man filmed attempting to swim a front crawl through fast-flowing floodwater in Benidorm as roads turned into torrents. In Italy, footage and reports from Tuscany showed cars underwater, flooded underpasses and some residents climbing onto roofs to escape rising water.

Authorities reported localized but intense bursts of rain. On the Tuscan island of Elba, roughly 50 millimeters of rain fell in a short period, and torrents caused a landslide that isolated about 200 people, officials said. Portoferraio on Elba recorded about 60 millimeters in half an hour, prompting the town's mayor to urge residents to remain at home. On the Grosseto coast, Argentario and the island of Giglio, 67 millimeters fell in less than an hour, civil protection services reported.

In Tuscany, the Valle di Lazzaro and Concia canals in Portoferraio overflowed. Several beaches and coastal areas suffered erosion or were swept away. In Massa, widespread flooding affected areas around the railway station and submerged the underpass to the tracks, shutting access. Landslides and damage to infrastructure were reported in Fontia, Gragnana, Castelpoggio and Miseglia, and a portion of a former school wall collapsed in one locality.

Spain's eastern coast and the Balearic Islands also experienced intense downpours and damaging winds. Authorities in Alicante placed large areas under orange and yellow alerts, and the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) issued a red alert for parts of the Tarragona coast due to the threat of torrential rain. The Servei Meteorològic de Catalunya (Meteocat) raised the danger level to 5 out of 6, warning of up to 40 liters per square meter in 30 minutes and as much as 100 liters in 24 hours in some zones.

Majorca recorded extremely rapid rainfall, with more than 22 liters per square meter falling in 10 minutes and 34 liters in an hour, according to María José Guerrero, AEMET’s delegate for the Balearic Islands. Palma airport reported substantial delays, municipal emergency plans were activated, parks and gardens were closed, and some marinas and terraces suffered damage from strong gusts and debris. Local emergency services in Majorca had logged about 50 incidents by midmorning, including several damaged boats and blocked coastal torrents laden with debris.

Catalonia activated INUNCAT, the region’s special flood emergency plan, and civil protection authorities issued Es-Alert messages advising residents in flood-prone Baix Ebre and Montsià to avoid unnecessary travel and to keep clear of waterways. Road closures and blocked traffic were widely reported across affected zones.

Rescue teams and civil protection units in Italy deployed to clear roads, assist stranded motorists and evacuate people trapped in underpasses or on rooftops. Telephone and power lines were reported cut in some areas, and municipal rescue services worked to restore access to ferry docks and evacuate isolated communities.

Severe Weather Europe warned of "extremely high rainfall" across three zones of the north-central Mediterranean and cautioned that rapidly changing conditions could produce localized, severe phenomena, including possible tornadoes along some parts of Italy's western coast. Weather services said the most acute conditions were expected to persist at least through Wednesday morning in central coastal zones, with a gradual subsidence of the worst conditions later in the day for some areas.

Regional authorities emphasized public safety measures, urging people to follow official advisories, avoid flooded roads and stay informed through emergency alerts. Civil protection services remained on heightened alert as crews worked to clear debris, inspect damaged infrastructure and assess coastal impacts that affected beaches, ports and local road networks.