Is it safe to travel to Spain right now?

Since Tuesday, parts of Spain including the eastern coast experienced record-breaking rainfall and severe flash flooding. Valencia is one of the worst affected areas, with thousands left without power and more than 200 fatalities so far. 

Now, the storm is easing but has moved over parts of Catalonia, including much of Barcelona and the surrounding area, which are under a mixture of orange and yellow warnings. The flooding affected the airport and public transport. Got a trip to Spain booked? Here is all the latest on travelling to the country during this extreme weather. 

Which areas of Spain are still affected by floods?

Torrential rain caused severe flooding in eastern Spain last week. Valencia, Malaga and its surrounding towns experienced extreme damage after a year’s worth of rain fell in just eight hours in some places. The death toll currently stands at 217 people, but with thousands still missing, that’s likely to continue to rise. 

More intense rainfalls have continued to move towards Barcelona. The city and other areas of Catalonia were placed under red warning yesterday morning. That has now been demoted to yellow. 

‘Significant risk’ orange warnings are also in place for other areas of eastern Spain such as Tarragona, and yellow warnings for Lleida, Castellon, northern Tarragona, Huesca, inland Barcelona and Caceres in western Spain. Last week, Huevla was also placed under red alert, but that has also been demoted. 

What is the FCDO Foreign Office Travel Advice for Spain?

The FCDO’s advice page reads: ‘Severe weather and flooding is affecting many areas of southern and eastern Spain, particularly the Valencia region and Castilla La Mancha. Journeys may be affected. Check the latest weather warnings from Spain’s meteorological office before you travel and follow instructions from local authorities.’

What is the current situation and advice for Barcelona?

Yesterday, residents in parts of Catalonia’s red zone were told ‘not to leave home or go to work’, with roads and Barcelona-El Prat airport experiencing flooding, though not as severely as in Valencia. 

‘Barcelona is the latest region to face the devastating impact of the floods in Spain. A red alert has been issued with the storm causing the suspension of at least 70 departing flights and the airport experiencing extreme flooding,’ says CCO of Staysure Simon McCulloch, ‘However, at this stage, there is no advice against travel to Spain, so if you decide to cancel your trip, it’s unlikely you’ll receive a refund from your holiday provider or from your insurer. We therefore recommend contacting your holiday provider to explore the available options.’

You can read more about the effect in Barcelona, including more on public transport disruptions, in our guide here. 

What is the current situation and advice for Valencia?

Torrential rain swept through Valencia last week and the city remains one of the worst-hit areas in the country after extreme flash flooding killed at least 217 people. 

Rescue teams are continually searching for people in the area who are still missing, such as in an underground car park and shopping centre which experienced rushes of water like that of a ‘tsunami movie’, according to survivors who spoke to the Independent. 

Our guide on the flooding in Valencia is available to read here. 

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