Where are the latest floods in Spain and is it safe to travel?

This week, parts of Spain experienced the worst flooding in decades, causing devastation in dozens of towns across the Valencian Community, with hundreds dead and thousands still missing.

While the impact is not expected to be as severe, heavy rains also arrived in Catalonia a few days ago. Today, Barcelona and surrounding areas have been hit with fresh floods, causing the Civil Protection to send an ’extreme danger’ red alert to all residents in the Baix Llobregat and Barcelonès areas warning of torrential rains.

Those with a trip booked to Barcelona might be worried about whether it’s safe to travel. Here’s everything we know so far.

How has Barcelona been affected by flooding?

Residents in the parts of Catalonia under red alert were warned this morning by Catalunya Ràdio ‘not to leave home or go to work’ until the warning was lifted. Videos were shared on social media showing streets where cars are partially submerged in the water. Barcelona-El Prat airport experienced flooding, causing flights to be cancelled, delayed and diverted.

The storm is currently losing strength, though the risk of flooding alert remains in place in the Llobregat basin and the Aemet’s red warning for extreme danger due to torrential rains remains active along the Barcelona coast.

Public transport disruptions

Renfe Cercanías (the local train service in Barcelona and the surrounding area) announced the suspension of all its lines until further notice, but it is gradually resuming service, starting with the R2 South and the R1 to Mataró. Although the high-speed service between Barcelona and Madrid had been halted, it is now back to normal operation.

Barcelona’s metro service has also been affected, and TMB is updating new incidents via its X profile. Several metro entrances have been closed, but service is slowly returning, with most lines and stops operating as usual. At the time of writing, the L9 line is only running between Parc Nou and Collblanc and is in service between Aeroport T1 and Parc Nou. Between Collblanc and Zona Universitària, service is only running on a single track. 

Are flights disrupted at Barcelona-El Prat Airport?

El Prat Airport is located in Baix Llobregat, which was one of the areas worst hit by the rain. By 10am, at least 17 flights were diverted to other airports due to the rain and dangerous landing conditions, with two heading to Girona-Costa Brava.

Aena (Spain’s airport operators) sources have confirmed that air traffic controllers were ‘spacing flights’ due to adverse weather. Many users have also shared videos and photos of the airport showing flooding and leaks in the facilities, with staff mobilising to clean up the water. However, as of mid-afternoon, flights began to board again.

Is it safe to travel?

The UK government has not officially advised against travelling to Spain, though it has added a warning to its travel advice page:

‘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 are my rights as a traveller?

As there has been no official advice issued to avoid travel to the region, you may not be able to cancel your trip without penalty. However, if your flight was cancelled, your travel insurer or trip provider should offer reimbursement.

Extreme weather in Europe

The floods in Spain come just over a month after Storm Boris caused deadly floods in Central Europe. Due to climate change, Europe has experienced several extreme weather events this year, including wildfires and extreme heatwaves.

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